MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 


THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

NEW  YORK   •   BOSTON  •   CHICAGO   ■   DALLAS 
ATLANTA    •   SAN  FRANCISCO 

MACMILLAN  &  CO.,  Limited 

LONDON   •  BOMBAY   •  CALCUTTA 
MELBOURNE 

THE  MACMILLAN  CO.  OF  CANADA,  Ltd. 

TORONTO 


When  was  a  lonely  heart 
more  truly  comforted?" 


MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 


BY 

LUCY  FURMAN 

n 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIONS  BY  MARY  LANE  McMILLAN 
AND  F.  R.  GRUGER 


Nrro  f  nrk 

THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY 

1914 

All  rights  reserved 


%& 


Copyright,  1910,  1911, 
By  THE  CENTURY  COMPANY. 


Copyright,  1913, 
By  THE  MACMILLAN  COMPANY. 


Set  up  and  electrotypcd.    Published  September,  1913.     Reprinted 
March,  1914. 


Xortooot!  \) rrss : 
Berwick  &  Smith  Co.,  Norwood,  Mass.,  U.S.A. 


Ea  sttg  ibga  of  &ix  $rara  Ago 


282199 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I    Arrival  on  Perilous 3 

II    Getting  Acquainted 9 

III  Acquiring  a  Family 17 

IV  War,  not  Peace 37 

V    Getting  Better  Acquainted 47 

VI    A  Trade  and  Other  Matters 55 

VII    Heroes  and  Hero  Worship 65 

VIII  Dress,  Chivalry  and  the  Trojan  War.  . .     71 

IX  More  Trading,  and  some  Family  History    84 

X    About  Mothers 92 

XI    Over  on  Trigger 100 

XII    The  Fightingest  Boy 117 

XIII  Around  the  Fire 125 

XIV  The  Visit  Home,  and  the  Funeral  Occa- 

sion   141 

XV    Trouble  on  Trigger  and  Elsewhere 157 

XVI    Filial  Piety  and  Croup 169 

XVII    Blessings  and  Hatings 176 

XVIII    Christmas  Anticipations 183 

XIX    Christmas  and  Danger 192 

ix 


x  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XX    War  and  Worse  on  Trigger 202 

XXI    Suspense. 212 

XXII    The  "Eech,"  and  Tragedy 222 

XXIII  Despair,  and  Budding  Romance 236 

XXIV  The  Babe 249 

XXV    CnANGE  and  Growth 260 

XXVI    "Marvles"  and  Marvels 270 

XXVII    Transformation 283 

XXVIII    "Keeps" 293 

XXIX    Liberty  and  New  Lipe 301 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

"When  was  a  lonely  heart  more  truly  comforted?" 

Frontispiece 

"My  two  assistants  abandoned  work  to  stare  open- 
mouthed  at  him." 12 

"'Here  is  Keats  back  again, — he  has  got  to  stay  with 

you  women  and  get  Taming  if  it  kills  him  dead! "....     20 

"' Genealogical '  and  'irreconcilable'  were  child's  play 

to  him,  'incomprehensibility,'  a  bagatelle" 30 

"  I  sat  wondering  what  if  anything  would  be  the  proper 

literary  milk  for  my  babes." 39 

"The  table  was  overturned,  chairs  were  flying,  bedlam 
had  broken  loose" 41 

" '  By  dogs,  now,  did  you  ever  see  anybody  look  as  good 

as  me?  " 49 

" '  Just  feel  my  muscle, '  he  said,  'Oh,  I'm  so  nervy! '  "  . .     63 

"'Fight,  dogs,  you  rjaint  no  kin,  'F  you  kill  one  an- 
other, taint  no  sin! '  " 79 

"  'That's  where  I  keep  lookout  of  moonlight  nights  when 
war  is  on.'  " 103 

"As I  looked,  I  said  to  myself  over  and  over,  'Is  it  possi- 
ble this  is  a  slayer  of  men,  an  eluder  and  defier  of 

thelaw?'" 108 

That  'ere  little  Iry  is  a-giving  Jason  the  best  whipping 

down  in  the  stable  lot  ever  you  seed.'  " 123 

Not  until  she  got  out  of  the  tall  weeds,  and  into  the 
branch,  was  the  joyful  discovery  made  that  nine 
xi 


.. . 


rii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

little  new  pigs  followed  her  closely  and  shame- 
facedly"    148 

"'I  got  a  dead  tree  up  the  hollow  I  practice  on  all  the 
time*  " 171 

"The  first  real  snow  yesterday,  and  the  boys  wild  in 
consequence" 173 

" '  Blant  he  rushed  on  'em  like  a  robbed  she-bear,  rout- 
ing 'em  in  no  time'  " 205 

"'I  allow  they  shot  me  up  a  little  too,  by  these  here 
rags  on  my  head.'  " 215 

"Blant  caught  the  dying  Rich  in  his  arms" 233 

"'Dag  gone  me,  he's  got  use  enough  for  little  Dilsey, 
by  Ned!'" 245 

"I  kotch  him  at  it  one  time" 273 

"'Take  it,  Joe,  I  refuse  to  touch  it,  I  have  shot  my  last 
shoot!'  " 280 

"  He  sat  in  church  the  very  picture  of  elegance,  the  real 
direction  of  his  thoughts  indicated  by  an  occa- 
sional ardent  glance  across  the  aisle" 288 

"'Well,  dad  burn  your  looks,  where 'd  you  git  all  them 
marvles  you  been  selling?'  " 298 

"Nucky's  voice  rang  out  sharp  and  clear.  .  'Make  for 
them  spruce  pines!  Hurry!  Hurry!  Hurry!'  " 304 


MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 


MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 

I 

ARRIVAL  ON  PERILOUS 

JOSLIN,   KY. 

Last  Thursday  in  July. 
Here  I  am  at  the  end  of  the  railroad,  waiting 
to  begin  my  two-days'  wagon-trip  across  the 
mountains.  But  the  school  wagon  has  not 
arrived, — my  landlady  says  it  is  delayed  by  a 
"tide"  in  the  creeks.  By  way  of  cheering  me, 
she  has  just  given  a  graphic  account  of  the 
twenty-year-old  feud  for  which  this  small  town 
is  notorious,  and  has  even  offered  to  take  me 
around  and  show  me,  on  walls,  floors  and  court- 
house steps,  the  blood-spots  where  seven  or 
eight  of  the  feudists  have  perished.  I  declined 
to  go, — it  is  sad  enough  to  know  such  things 
exist,  without  seeing  them  face  to  face.    Be- 

3 


4  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

sides,  I  have  enough  that  is  depressing  in  my 
own  thoughts. 

When  I  locked  the  doors  of  the  old  home  day 
before  yesterday,  I  felt  as  a  ghost  may  when  it 
wanders  forth  from  the  tomb.  For  a  year  I  had 
not  been  off  the  place;  it  seemed  I  should  never 
have  the  courage  to  go  again.  For  I  am  one 
whom  death  has  robbed  of  everything, — not 
only  of  my  present  but  of  my  future.  In  the 
past  seven  years  all  has  gone;  and  with  Mother's 
passing  a  year  ago,  my  very  reason  for  existence 
went. 

And  yet  none  knows  better  than  I  that  this 
sitting  down  with  sorrow  is  both  dangerous  and 
wrong;  if  there  is  any  Lethe  for  such  pain  as 
mine,  any  way  of  filling  in  the  lonely,  dreaded 
years  ahead  of  me,  I  must  find  it.  It  would 
be  better  if  I  had  some  spur  of  necessity  to 
urge  me  on.  As  it  is,  I  am  all  apathy.  If 
there  is  anything  that  could  interest  me,  it 
is  some  form  of  social  service.     A  remarkable 


ARRIVAL  ON  PERILOUS  5 

settlement  work  being  done  in  the  mountains 
of  my  own  state  recently  came  to  my  atten- 
tion; and  I  wrote  the  head-workers  and  ar- 
ranged for  the  visit  on  which  I  am  now  em- 
barked. I  scarcely  dare  to  hope,  however, 
that  I  shall  find  a  field  of  usefulness, — nothing 
interests  me  any  more,  and  also,  I  have  no 
gifts,  and  have  never  been  trained  for  anything. 
My  dearest  ambition  was  to  make  a  home,  and 
have  a  houseful  of  children;  and  this,  alas,  was 
not  to  be! 

Night. 
Howard  Cleves,  a  big  boy  from  the  settlement 
school,  has  just  arrived  with  the  wagon — he 
says  he  had  to  "lay  by"  twenty-four  hours  on 
account  of  the  "tide" — and  we  are  to  start  at 
five  in  the  morning. 

Settlement  School  on  Perilous. 
Sunday,  In  Bed. 
I  have  passed  through  two  days  of  torture  in 


6  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

that  wagon.  When  we  were  not  following  the 
rocky  beds  of  creeks,  or  sinking  to  the  hubs  in 
mudholes,  we  were  winding  around  precipitous 
mountainsides  where  a  misstep  of  the  mules 
would  have  sent  us  hundreds  of  feet  down. 
Nowhere  was  there  an  actual  road, — as  Howard 
expressed  it,  "This  country  is  intended  for 
nag-travel,  not  for  wagons."  The  mules 
climbed  over  logs  and  bowlders,  and  up  and 
down  great  shelves  of  rock,  the  jolting,  crash- 
ing, banging  were  indescribable,  my  poor  bones 
were  racked  until  I  actually  wept  from  the  pain 
and  would  have  turned  back  long  before  noon 
of  the  first  day  if  I  could;  the  thirteen  hours — 
during  which  we  made  twenty-six  miles — 
seemed  thirteen  eons,  and  I  fell  into  the  feather- 
bed at  the  stopover  place  that  first  night  hat, 
dress,  shoes  and  all.  Yesterday,  having  bought 
two  pillows  to  sit  on,  I  found  the  jolting  more 
endurable,  and  was  able  to  see  some  of  the 
beauty  through  which  we  were  passing.    There 


ARRIVAL  ON  PERILOUS  7 

is  no  level  land,  nothing  but  creeks  and  moun- 
tains, the  latter  steep,  though  not  very  high, 
and  covered  mostly  with  virgin  forest,  though 
here  and  there  a  cornfield  runs  half-way  up, 
and  a  lonely  log  house  nestles  at  the  base.  There 
were  looms  and  spinning-wheels  in  the  porches 
of  these  homes,  and  always  numbers  of  children 
ran  out  to  see  us  pass.  Just  at  noon  we  turned 
into  Perilous  Creek,  the  one  the  school  is  on. 
Here  the  bed  was  unusually  wide  and  smooth, 
and  I  was  enjoying  the  respite  from  racking  and 
jolting,  when  Howard  said  with  an  anxious 
brow,  "All  these  nice  smooth  places  is  liable  to 
be  quicksands, — last  time  I  come  over,  it  took 
four  ox-teams  to  pull  my  span  and  wagon  out. 
That's  how  it  gets  its  name, — Perilous.' ' 

We  escaped  the  quicks,  thank  heaven,  and 
just  at  dark  the  welcome  lights  of  the  school 
shone  out  in  the  narrow  valley.  I  was  relieved 
to  find  I  should  be  expected  to  remain  in  bed 
to-day. 


8  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Racked  muscles,  black-and-blue  spots,  and 
dislocated  bones  are  not  exactly  pleasant;  but 
physical  pain  is  an  actual  relief  after  endless 
ache  of  heart  and  suffering  of  spirit. 

A  pretty,  brown-eyed  boy  just  brought  in  a 
pitcher  of  water,  asked  me  if  I  came  from  the 
"level  country"  and  how  many  times  I  had 
"rid"  on  the  railroad  train;  and  gave  me  the 
information  that  he  was  Philip  Sidney  Floyd, 
that  his  "paw"  got  his  name  out  of  a  book,  that 
his  "maw"  was  dead,  that  he  was  "very  nigh 
thirteen,"  and  had  worked  for  "the  women"  all 
summer. 


n 

GETTING  ACQUAINTED 

Monday  Night. 
Early  this  morning  I  was  taken  around  by 
Philip  and  a  smaller  boy  named  Geordie  to  see 
the  buildings, — handsome  ones  of  logs,  set  in  a 
narrow  strip  of  bottom  land  along  Perilous 
Creek.  The  "big  house"  especially,  a  great 
log  structure  of  two-dozen  rooms,  where  the 
settlement  work  goes  on,  and  the  teachers  and 
girls  live,  is  the  most  satisfying  building  I  ever 
saw.  There  are  also  a  good  workshop,  a  pretty 
loom-house,  and  a  small  hospital,  and  the  last 
shingles  are  being  nailed  on  the  large  new  school- 
house.  When  I  asked  the  boys  why  any  school- 
term  should  begin  the  first  of  August,  they  ex- 


io  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

plained  that  the  children  must  go  home  and 
help  their  parents  hoe  corn  during  May,  June 
and  July. 

All  day  the  children  who  are  to  live  in  the 
school,  and  many  more  who  hope  to,  were 
arriving,  afoot  or  on  nags,  the  boys,  however 
small,  in  long  trousers  and  black  felt  hats  like 
their  fathers,  the  girls  a  little  more  cheerfully 
dressed  than  their  mothers,  whose  black  sun- 
bonnets  and  somber  homespun  dresses  were 
depressing.  Many  of  the  parents  stayed  to 
dinner.  There  is  a  fine,  old-fashioned  dignity 
in  their  manners,  and  great  gentleness  in  their 
voices.  I  have  always  heard  that,  shut  away 
here  in  these  mountains,  some  of  the  purest  and 
best  Anglo-Saxon  blood  in  the  nation  is  to  be 
found;  now  I  am  sure  of  it.  It  was  pathetic  to 
see  the  eagerness  of  these  men  and  women  that 
their  children  should  get  learning,  and  to  hear 
many  of  them  tell  how  they  themselves  had  had 
no  chance  whatever  at  an  education,  being 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  n 

raised  probably  sixty  or  eighty  miles  from  a 
school-house. 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  as  Philip,  Geordie  and 
I  were  fastening  up  straying  rose-vines  on  the 
pine-tree  pillars  of  the  "  big  house  "  porch,  a 
one-legged  and  very  feeble  man,  accompanied 
by  a  boy,  dismounted  at  the  gate  and  came  up 
the  walk  on  a  crutch.  During  the  time  he  sat 
on  the  porch,  my  two  assistants  abandoned 
their  work  to  stare  open-mouthed  at  him. 
When  he  was  called  in  to  see  the  heads,  Geordie 
inquired  of  his  boy, 

"How'd  your  paw  git  all  lamed  up  that- 
away?" 

The  new  arrival  pulled  his  black  hat  down, 
frowned,  and  measured  Geordie  with  gray, 
combative  eyes,  before  replying,  coldly, 

"Warring  with  the  Cheevers." 

"Gee-oh,  air  you  one  of  the  Marrses  from 
Trigger  Branch  of  Powderhorn?" 

"Yes." 


l  ■■nil 


My  two  assistants  abandoned 
work  to  stare  open-mouthed 
at  him." 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  13 

"What's  your  name?" 

"Nucky." 

"How  old  air  you?" 

"  Going-on-twelve." 

"What  kin  is  Blant  Marrs  to  you?" 

"My  brother." 

"You  don't  say  so!  Gee,  I  wisht  I  could  see 
him!    Have  you  holp  any  in  the  war?" 

"Some."  Here  Nucky  was  called  in,  to  the 
evident  disappointment  of  his  interlocutor. 
Later,  I  saw  him  at  the  supper- table,  gazing 
disapprovingly  about  him. 

After  supper  I  had  a  few  minutes  talk  with 
the  busy  head-workers,  and  placed  myself  at 
their  disposal,  with  the  explanation  that  I 
really  knew  very  little  about  anything,  except 
music  and  gardening.  They  said  these  things 
are  just  what  they  have  been  wanting, — that 
a  friend  has  recently  sent  the  school  a  piano 
(how  did  it  ever  cross  these  mountains!)  and 
that  some  one  to  supervise  garden  operations 


14  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

is  especially  needed.  "Besides,  what  you 
don't  know  you  can  learn,"  they  said,  "we  are 
always  having  to  do  impossible  and  unexpected 
things  here, — our  motto  is  ' Learn  by  doing.'" 
I  am  very  dubious;  but  I  promised  to  try  it  a 
month. 

They  told  me  that  between  six  and  seven 
hundred  children  had  been  turned  away 
to-day  for  lack  of  room, — only  sixty  can 
live  in  the  school,  though  two  hundred  more 
attend  the  day-school,  which  begins  to- 
morrow. 

Friday  Night. 

What  a  week!  Foraging  expeditions  and 
music-lessons  to  big  girls  in  the  mornings,  and 
in  the  afternoons,  gardening,  with  a  dozen  small 
boys  to  keep  busy.  This  is  an  industrial  school, 
— in  addition  to  the  usual  common-school  sub- 
jects, woodwork,  carpentry,  blacksmithing,  gar- 
dening, cooking,  sewing,  weaving  and  home- 
nursing  are  all  taught,  and  the  children  in 


GETTING  ACQUAINTED  15 

residence  also  perform  all  the  work  on  the  place, 
indoors  and  out.  But  alas,  my  agricultural 
force  is  diminishing, — the  small  boys  are  leav- 
ing in  batches.  This  is  the  first  year  any 
number  have  been  taken  to  live  in  the  school, 
and  they  are  unable  to  endure  the  homesickness. 
Nucky  Marrs  left  after  one  night's  stay;  three 
others  followed  Tuesday  afternoon,  and  five  on 
Wednesday;  more  were  taken  in,  but  left  at 
once.  Keats  Salyer,  a  beautiful  boy  who  has 
wept  every  minute  of  his  stay,  ran  away  a  third 
time  this  morning.  Yesterday  Joab  Atkins 
left  when  the  housekeeper  told  him  to  help  the 
girls  pick  chickens.  Eight  new  boys  came  in 
to-day,  but  the  veterans,  Philip  and  Geordie, 
say  these  are  aiming  to  leave  to-morrow. 

Friday  is  mill  day  in  the  mountains,  and  this 
morning,  having  had  the  boys  shell  corn,  I  took 
it  to  mill  to  be  ground  into  meal,  in  a  large 
"poke"  (sack)  slung  across  my  saddle.  When 
I  had  gone  a  mile  up  Perilous,  the  thing  wriggled 


1 6  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

from  under  me  and  fell  off  in  the  road.  Of 
course  I  was  powerless  to  lift  it,  though  equally 
of  course  I  got  off  the  school  nag  and  tried. 
There  was  nothing  to  do  but  sit  on  the  roots  of 
a  great  beech  until  somebody  came  along.  Two 
men  soon  rode  up,  and  smiling,  dismounted  and 
politely  set  the  poke  and  me  on  Mandy  again, 
and  I  reached  the  mill  in  safety.  When  I  got 
back,  my  black  china-silk  was  ruined  from 
sitting  on  the  meal. 


Ill 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY 

Sunday. 
Sure  enough,  the  eight  new  boys  were  gone 
before  sun-up  yesterday,  only  Philip  and 
Geordie  remain,  and  gardening  is  at  a  standstill. 
All  day  yesterday  and  to-day  I  have  thought  of 
the  runaways,  and  wondered  if  there  is  any 
way  of  making  them  stay  and  take  advantage  of 
their  opportunities.  Our  young  manual-training 
teacher,  and  only  man,  lives  at  the  cottage  with 
the  dozen  small  boys;  but,  being  a  man,  prob- 
ably he  cannot  give  them  a  home  feeling,  and 
get  them  rooted.  Only  a  woman  could  do  that. 
If  I  had  the  courage  and  cheerfulness,  I  would 
go  over  there  and  live  with  those  little  boys  and 

try  to  make  them  feel  at  home.    But  it  is  useless 
17 


18  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

to  think  of  such  a  thing,— my  sadness  would 
repel  them, — they  would  run  away  faster  than 
ever. 

Monday  Night. 

The  heads  said  to  me  this  morning,  "We 
shall  give  up  trying  to  keep  little  boys  in  the 
school, — it  is  useless,  though  we  need  them 
almost  as  much  as  they  need  us.  If  there  were 
just  some  one  who  loves  children  to  stay  there 
and  take  a  real  interest  in  them,  they  might  be 
satisfied  to  remain." 

"I  love  children,"  I  said,  "but  I  would  not 
think  of  inflicting  myself  upon  them, — I  am 
not  cheerful  enough." 

"Cheerful!"  they  exclaimed,  "why,  every- 
body is  cheerful  here, — no  time  for  anything 
else !    Suppose  you  try  it ! " 

"I  really  couldn't  think  of  it,"  I  replied;  but, 
fifteen  minutes  later,  under  the  spell  of  their 
optimism,  I  was  moving  over  from  the  big 
house  to  the  small  boys'  cottage,  from  which 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  19 

the  manual-training  teacher  was  departing  to 
join  the  big  boys  over  the  workshop. 

This  small  cottage  is  the  building  in  which 
the  work  began  here  five  years  ago.  It  is 
separated  from  the  rest  of  the  school-grounds 
by  a  small  branch;  in  its  back  yard  is  the  wash- 
house,  and  beyond  this  the  stable  lot  slopes 
down  to  Perilous  Creek.  There  are  four  com- 
fortable rooms,  neatly  papered  with  magazine 
pages, — a  sitting-room,  two  bedrooms  for  the 
boys,  and  one  for  me.  The  woodwork  in  mine 
being  battered,  I  sent  Philip  down  to  the  nearby 
village  for  paint.  He  returned  with  a  rich,  rosy 
red,  and  began  laying  it  on  my  mantelpiece 
with  gusto,  while  Geordie  Yonts  put  shelves  in 
a  goods-box  for  my  bureau.  Never  have  I  seen 
a  small  chunk  of  a  boy  with  such  a  large,  in- 
gratiating smile  as  Geordie's. 

In  the  midst  I  heard  a  call  from  the  road,  and 
saw  at  the  gate  a  nag  bearing  a  woman  and  two 
small  boys.     "Here  is  Keats  back  again, — he 


'Here  is  Keats  back  again, — he  has  got  to  stay  with  you 
women  and  get  Taming  if  it  kills  him  dead!'" 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  21 

has  got  to  stay  with  you  women  and  get  Taming 
if  it  kills  him  dead!"  declared  his  Spartan 
mother;  "and  I  brung  Hen  this  time,  to  keep 
him  company, — he  haint  so  tender-hearted.' ' 
She  sternly  pushed  the  weeping  Keats  off  the 
nag,  and  he  flung  himself  down  in  the  doorway, 
howling  dismally.  But  little  Hen,  who  cannot 
be  more  than  nine,  walked  composedly  into  the 
house,  looking  about  him  with  interest.  He 
stopped  before  the  almost-completed  mantel- 
piece. "Gee,  woman,"  he  said,  "that  'ere's  the 
dad-burn  prettiest  fireboard  ever  I  seed!"  "If 
you  like  it,  you  shall  have  the  same  in  your 
room,  and  all  the  rooms,"  I  said.  "Suppose 
you  and  Keats  go  down  right  now  and  buy  me 
a  gallon  more  of  this  paint.  And  I  think  we 
need  some  candy,  too, — say  a  quarter's  worth 
of  peppermint  sticks." 

The  tears  miraculously  left  Keats 's  face,  they 
hurried  off,  and  later  we  had  a  feast  of  candy 
flavored  with  paint. 


22  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Tuesday. 

A  terrible  night  with  fleas,  and  up  at  five 
(awful  hour!)  to  teach  the  boys  to  make  their 
beds  and  clean  their  rooms.  Hen's  first  question 
was,  "  Woman,  what's  your  name?  "  "  Loring," 
I  replied.  "Haint  you  got  nary  nother?" 
"Yes,  Cecilia."  "Gee-oh,  that's  some  shakes 
of  a  name.  How  old  air  you,  Cecilia?"  "I  am 
old  enough  to  have  a  Miss  before  my  name 
always,"  I  said,  severely;  "you  must  call  me 
Miss  Loring,  just  as  people  call  your  mother 
Mrs.  Salver." 

"They  don't,"  he  replied,  "they  call  her 
Nerves  ty." 

"All  these-here  fotch-on  women  gits  called 
Miss,  son,"  admonished  Geordie;  "you  haint 
used  to  their  quare  ways  yet." 

Later,  there  was  another  halloo  from  the 
road,  and  as  Joab  Atkins  slid  off  the  end  of  a 
mule,  his  father  remarked  to  me,  with  extreme 
gentleness,   that   he   allowed  Joab   would   be 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  23 

willing  to  pick  a  chicken  now.  Mr.  Atkins  is  a 
handsome  man,  with  perfect  manners.  When 
he  said  he  had  a  younger  son  over  on  Rakeshin 
he  would  like  to  bring  us,  little  Iry,  ten  years 
old,  a  "pure  scholar,  that  knows  the  speller 
from  kiver  to  kiver,"  I  told  him  to  bring  Iry  at 
once. 

Just  before  supper  I  was  pleased  to  see  an- 
other runaway  returned, — Nucky  Marrs,  of 
Trigger  Branch.  But  before  his  father  was  out 
of  sight  up  the  road,  he  calmly  announced  to 
me  that  he  didn't  aim  to  stay,  and  that  neither 
his  paw  nor  anybody  else  was  able  to  make  him. 
I  believed  him, — one  glance  at  his  vivid  face 
and  combative  eyes  convinced  me. 

"Very  well,,,  I  said,  "if  you  cannot  be  happy, 
of  course  you  must  go.  But  it  will  hurt  my 
feelings  a  good  deal, — however,  don't  think  of 
them." 

"What  difference  is  it  to  you?"  he  demanded. 

"  Only  this, — I  have  lost  everybody  I  love  in 


24  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  world,  and  have  come  to  the  cottage  to  live 
with  you  boys  because  I  am  so  terribly  lonely. 
If  you  can't  like  me  well  enough  to  stay,  life 
will  seem  a  failure." 

He  pondered  a  long  while,  frowning  a  little, 
with  large  gray  eyes  fixed  on  my  face.  Then  he 
said  at  last,  "I  don't  know  as  I'll  go  right  off." 

"Oh,  thank  you,"  I  replied,  gratefully. 

From  seven  to  eight  we  have  study-hour  at 
the  cottage.  To-night  Geordie  watched  the 
clock-hands  for  twenty  minutes  before  they 
reached  eight,  then  slammed  his  geography 
shut,  and  commanded, 

"Tell  about  the  Marrs-Cheever  war!" 

All  the  boys  woke  up  at  once,  and  Nucky 
began,  slowly:  "The  Marrses  has  lived  on 
Trigger  ever  sence  allus-ago.  My  great-great- 
great-grandpaw  fit  under  Washington  and  got 
a  big  land-grant  out  here  and  come  out  from 
Old  Virginny.  And  the  Cheevers  they  has 
alius  lived  down  the  branch  from  us.    More'n 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  25 

thirty  year'  gone,  Israel  Cheever  he  had  a  new 
survey  made,  and  laid  claim  to  a  piece  of  our 
bottom  where  the  lands  jines;  and  him  and  his 
brothers  tore  down  the  dividing  fence  and  sot 
it  back  up  on  our  land;  and  the  next  week,  my 
grandpaw  and  his  boys  sot  it  down  where  it 
belonged,  and  while  they  was  at  it,  the  Cheevers 
come  up  and  they  all  fit  a  big  battle.  And  ever 
sence,  first  one  side  and  then  t'other  has  been 
setting  back  the  fence,  and  gen'ally  a  few  gets 
kilt  and  a  lot  wounded.  Six  year  gone,  paw  got 
his  three  brothers  kilt  and  a  leg  shot  off  and  a 
couple  of  bullets  in  his  lung,  in  a  battle,  and 
haint  been  able  to  do  a  lick  of  work  sence. 
Blant,  my  big  brother,  wa'n't  but  fifteen  then, 
and  he's  had  to  make  the  living  ever  sence,  with 
me  to  help  him.  And  for  five  year'  before  he 
got  good-grown,  the  Cheevers  they  helt  our 
land,  and  Blant  he  laid  low  and  put  in  all  his 
spare  time  at  gun  practice.  Then  last  fall,  on 
the  day  Blant  was  twenty,  he  rounded  up  Rich 


26  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Tarrant  and  some  more  of  his  friends,  and 
Uncle  Billy's  boys  and  me,  and  we  tore  up  the 
fence,  and  sot  it  down  on  the  old  line  where  it 
ought  to  be;  and  the  Cheevers,  Israel  and  his 
ten  boys,  got  wind  of  it,  and  come  up,  and  there 
was  the  terriblest  battle  you  ever  seed." 

"I  heared  about  it,"  interrupted  Geordie, 
"I  heared  Blant  was  the  quickest  on  the  trigger 
of  any  boy  ever  lived,  and  laid  out  the  Cheevers 
scandlous.,, 

"He  kilt  two  of  'em  dead  that  day,  and 
wounded  five  or  six  more  pretty  bad,"  resumed 
Nucky,  "and  the  fighting  it  went  on,  off  and  on, 
all  winter.  Every  now  and  then,  of  a  moon- 
light night,  the  Cheever  boys  would  start  to 
tear  down  the  fence  and  set  it  back  up;  but  we 
kep'  a  constant  lookout,  and  was  alius  ready 
for  'em.  Finally  they  got  discouraged  trying 
to  fight  Blant  in  the  open,  and  tuck  to  ambush- 
ing. Three  of  'em  laywayed  Blant  under  a  cliff 
one  day  in  April,  and  Elhannon  got  kilt,  and 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  27 

Todd  and  Dalt  so  bad  wounded  they  left 
the  country  and  went  West.  They  are  the 
youngest  and  feistiest  of  the  lot, — t'other  boys 
is  mostly  married  and  settled,  and  not  anxious 
to  risk  their  lives  again'  Blant's  gun  no  more — 
and  sence  they  went  off,  we  have  had  a  spell  of 
peace." 

"What  do  you  do  in  the  war?" 

"Oh,  I  keep  a  lookout,  and  spy  around,  and 
stand  guard  over  the  fence  with  my  gun." 

"Gee,  I  wisht  I  had  a  war  in  my  family!" 
sighed  Philip,  fervently. 

Thursday, 

Two  more  nights  of  suffering, — Philip  said 
to  me  this  morning,  "  I  heared  you  up  a-fleaing 
four  or  five  times  in  the  night."  When  I  found 
that  several  panels  of  the  back  fence  had  been 
washed  away  by  the  "tide"  of  week-before-last, 
and  that  neighborhood  hogs  were  coming  in  and 
out  at  will,  and  making  their  beds  under  my 
very  room,  I  did  not  wonder. 


28  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

This  morning  at  the  breakfast  table,  Philip's 
face  was  so  dingy  that  I  inquired,  "Have  you 
washed  your  face?" 

"Yes,"  was  his  reply. 

Something  moved  me  to  inquire  further, 
"When?" 

"Day  before  yesterday,"  he  replied,  with 
perfect  nonchalance. 

This  is  dangerous, — already  I  can  see  that 
Philip  is  to  be,  like  his  illustrious  namesake, 
"the  glass  of  fashion  and  the  mold  of  form," 
and  that  the  younger  boys,  will  be  only  too 
ready  to  omit  disagreeable  rites  if  he  does. 

Poor  Keats,  who  in  the  matter  of  beauty 
certainly  lives  up  to  his  name,  really  seems  in- 
consolable. While  he  cleans  the  chicken-yard 
in  the  mornings,  my  heart  is  wrung  by  hearing 
him  chant  the  most  dismal  of  songs, 

Oh  bury  me  not,  on  the  broad  pa-ra-a-ree, 
Where  the  wild  ky-oats  will  holler  over  me! 

and  in  the  hour  after  supper,  when  the  others 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  29 

play  out  of  doors,  he  sits  with  me,  telling  about 
Nervesty  and  the  four  little  children  at  home, 
and  the  spell  of  typhoid  all  the  family  had  last 
year,  when  his  father  and  little  sister  Dicey 
died,  and  how  "Me  'n'  Nervesty  and  Hen" 
have  run  the  farm  since  then,  tending  fifteen 
acres  of  corn,  besides  clearing  new-ground,  and 
other  labors.  Poor  little  man,  it  is  the  knowl- 
edge that  he  is  really  needed  at  home,  as  much 
as  homesickness,  that  preys  on  his  mind, — his 
mother  is  making  a  noble  sacrifice  to  let  him 
stay  in  the  school.  It  seems  to  comfort  him 
somewhat  to  weep  on  a  sympathetic  bosom. 
Peppermint  candy,  too,  is  not  without  its 
efficacy. 

To-day  came  Taulbee  Boiling,  a  dignified 
boy  of  thirteen,  with  a  critical  eye,  and  later, 
Mr.  Atkins  again,  with  the  "pure  scholar"  in 
tow.  Iry  is  a  thin,  puny-looking  mite  of  ten, 
much  too  small  for  his  trousers.  He  said 
"Yes  sir"  and  "No  sir"  most  politely  when 


3<> 


MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 


speaking  to  me,  and  carried  an  old  blue-back 
speller  under  one  arm.  So  great  was  my 
curiosity  that  I  opened  the  book  at  once.  The 
result  was  amazing, — " genealogical' '  and  "ir- 


*£a$m 


"'Genealogical'  and  'irreconcilable'  were  child's  play  to 
him,  'incomprehensibility,'  a  bagatelle." 

reconcilable"  were  child's-play  to  him,  " incom- 
prehensibility/ '  a  bagatelle.  It  was  interesting 
to  see  his  scared  little  face  brighten  as  he 
climbed  up  and  down  the  hard  words  and 
beheld  my  growing  astonishment. 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  31 

This  afternoon  while  I  had  the  boys  mending 
the  back  fence,  Geordie,  who  had  been  left  to 
scrub  my  floor  with  carbolic  acid  solution, 
came  back  to  the  stable-lot  bringing  a  new  boy, 
whom  with  a  flourish  of  his  brush  he  intro- 
duced as  follows: 

"Here's  the  boy  that  fit  the  marshal  that 
kilt  his  paw.  And  one  time  he  seed  the  world 
and  rid  on  a  railroad  train.  Killis  Blair's  the 
name  he  goes  by."  Killis  is  a  handsome 
blonde  boy  of  twelve,  not  unaware  of  his  double 
importance. 

To-night  after  study-hour  there  was  another 
catechism  by  Geordie.  "Tell  about  ridin'  on 
the  railroad  train!"  he  ordered. 

Killis  began:  "The  month  before  paw  got 
kilt  last  spring,  the  officers  was  a-watching  him 
so  clost  he  was  afeared  to  sell  any  liquor  round 
about  home,  so  me  and  him  we  tuck  a  barrel 
acrost  the  mountains  to  Virginia,  where  there's 
mines,  and  it  would  fetch  a  good  price.    We 


32  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

loaded  fodder  on  top.  The  going  was  awful 
sorry,  and  the  steers  was  three  days  at  it. 
When  I  got  there,  I  seed  men  walking  round 
with  their  hats  afire,  and  went  down  to  the 
railroad-train  and  rid  on  the  engine." 

"What  did  it  look  like?"  demanded  Philip, 
breathlessly. 

"Sort  of  like  a  saw-mill  sot  up  on  wheels." 

"I'd  sooner  die  as  not  to  see  one!"  sighed 
Philip. 

"I  aim  to  see  one  when  I'm  a  perfessor," 
remarked  Taulbee. 

"I  bet  I  see  a  hundred  when  I  go  to  be  a 
soldier,"  sai4  Nucky. 

"I'd  ruther  see  a  railroad-train  as  to  eat!" 
declared  Geordie,  and  this  appeared  to  be  the 
prevailing  sentiment,  except  with  Keats,  who 
said  dismally  that  he  didn't  crave  to  see  any- 
thing that  would  take  him  fifty  mile'  from 
Nervesty  and  home.  After  reflection,  Hen 
agreed  with  him. 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  33 

"Listen  at  them  two  homesicks!"  remarked 
Philip,  cuttingly. 

Geordie  folded  his  fat  hands.  "Now  you 
might  tell  about  your  paw  gettin'  kilt,"  he  said. 

Killis  said  that  the  officers  had  been  spying 
around  on  his  "paw"  a  long  time  for  "stilling  " 
liquor,  but  that  he  was  too  smart  for  them,  and 
moved  the  still  about,  and  made  liquor  by 
night,  and  also  frightened  them  by  sending 
word  to  the  marshal  he  would  never  be  taken 
alive.  That  one  night  they  had  just  "drug" 
the  still  up  to  a  new  place  in  the  hollow,  and 
he  and  his  father  and  uncles  were  sitting  around 
the  fire,  when  there  was  a  yell,  and  the  marshal 
and  a  deputy  burst  in,  shooting  as  they  came. 
That  his  uncles  returned  the  fire,  but  before  his 
father  could  do  so,  he  fell,  with  a  dreadful 
wound  through  the  stomach.  That  he  himself, 
when  he  saw  his  father  fall,  snatched  a  hunting- 
knife  and  cut  the  marshal  in  the  forearm  with 
it  as  he  was  ninning  out 


34  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

The  last  item  he  told  without  bragging,  and 
quite  as  a  matter  of  course.  The  other  boys 
gave  him  looks  of  approval  and  envy,  all  save 
Nucky.  "By  Heck,  I  wouldn't  have  stopped 
with  his  arm,"  he  declared. 

"  I  haint,"  replied  Killis,  quietly. 

Evidently  I  have  two  heroes  on  my  hands! 

Saturday  Night. 

Moses  and  Zachariah,  two  more  runaways, 
were  returned  this  morning,  and  this  afternoon 
arrived  my  twelfth  boy, — the  last,  since  they 
cannot  sleep  more  than  three  in  a  bed!  Jason  is 
a  beautiful  child  of  seven,  very  funny  in  his 
little  long  trousers.  I  wanted  him  at  sight,  but 
hesitated  on  account  of  his  youth.  When  I 
heard  from  his  father,  however,  that  he  had  no 
mother  now,  I  took  him  at  once.  Before  leaving, 
Mr.  Wyatt  said  that  Jason  was  right  pyeert 
about  learning,  and,  he  added  candidly,  about 
meanness  too,  and  he  hoped  I  would  not  spar' 
the  rod.   The  rod  indeed, —  I  threw  a  protecting 


ACQUIRING  A  FAMILY  35 

arm  around  the  angelic-looking  child  at  the 
word. 

Indeed,  not  a  few  of  the  parents  have  warned 
me  against  wild  and  warlike  tendencies  in  their 
offspring, — Mr.  Marrs,  for  instance,  said  that 
Nucky  was  a  master  scholar  when  he  could 
leave  off  fighting  long  enough  to  study  his 
books,  and  others  have  admonished  me  to  hold  a 
tight  rein.  Their  warnings  are  needless, — every- 
thing so  far  has  gone  with  surprising  smooth- 
ness, confirming  my  theory  that  in  an  atmos- 
phere of  love  and  gentleness  the  martial  traits 
will  be  atrophied. 

To-day  things  were  more  tumultuous,  Satur- 
day being  combined  wash-and-cleaning-day  at 
the  school,  and  a  hard  time  for  all  hands.  Ten 
of  the  girls  came  over  from  the  big  house  to  our 
back  yard,  and  there,  assisted  by  one  of  my 
boys,  who  kept  up  fires  under  the  big  kettles 
and  carried  water  from  the  well,  did  the  washing 
for  the  entire  school;  while  in  every  building  on 


36  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  place  cleaning,  scrubbing  and  window- 
washing  were  in  full  blast.  I  was  sorry  to  have 
to  punish  little  Hen  to-night  for  calling  it  a 
"hell  of  a  day." 


IV 
WAR,  NOT  PEACE 

Monday  Noon. 

Yesterday  morning  I  accompanied  my  boys 
to  Sunday-school  in  the  village.  They  showed  a 
good  deal  of  restlessness  before  the  service 
was  over, — not  surprising  considering  that 
only  two  had  ever  heard  of  a  Sunday-school 
before. 

After  dinner  I  undertook  to  cheer  and  enter- 
tain them  by  reading  Robinson  Crusoe,  out  in 
our  yard,  beginning  in  the  thick  of  the  story, 
where  the  hero  is  in  sight  of  his  island.  What 
was  my  chagrin  to  see  one  pair  after  another  of 
bright,  roving  eyes  dull  and  close,  one  head  after 
another  roll  over  in  the  grass,  Nucky  Marrs 
holding  out  longest,  and  murmuring  wearily,  as 

37 


38  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

his  head  settled  back  against  a  tree,  "Didn't 
he  never  get  into  no  fights,  or  kill  nobody?" 

Discouraged,  I  sat  for  a  long  while  gazing 
upon  the  twelve  sleepers,  and  wondering  what 
if  anything  would  be  the  proper  literary  milk 
for  my  babes. 

When  the  boys  at  last  awoke  from  their 
naps,  I  gave  them  permission  to  play  mumble- 
peg  very,  very  quietly — the  heads  had  told  me 
to  keep  them  quiet  on  Sundays — and  they 
made  a  desperate  effort  to  do  so.  But  probably 
behavior  so  far  had  been  impossibly  good,  and 
this  was  the  last  straw.  At  any  rate,  when  we 
were  gathered  in  the  sitting-room  after  supper 
for  ten  minutes  of  Sunday-school  lesson,  the 
storm  broke.  Nucky  kicked  Killis  on  the 
shin;  Killis  called  him  a  smotch-eyed  polecat; 
the  two  grappled;  Philip  flew  to  Nucky's 
assistance,  Joab  to  Killis's;  Keats,  Hen  and 
Moses  rushed  in  on  the  Marrs  side,  Taulbee, 
Zachariah  and  Iry  on  the  Blair,  little  Jason  flew 


[I  sat  wondering  what  if  ^7 
anything  would  be  the 

proper  literary  milk  for       *  **-^U?  ZJt'JU  —~ . 
my  babes."  '  Al"0%  £C 


39 


4o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

joyously  into  the  fray,  impartially  attacking 
both  sides,  and  Geordie  prudently  retired  under 
the  table. 

It  all  happened  in  a  flash, — before  I  could 
catch  my  breath  the  table  was  overturned, 
chairs  were  flying,  bedlam  had  broken  loose. 
In  vain  I  commanded,  implored,  threatened, — I 
might  as  well  have  spoken  to  the  raging  sea. 

Dreadful  moments  followed,  during  which 
I  could  only  dodge  chairs  and  wring  my  hands 
wildly.  Worse  was  to  come,  however, — when 
I  saw  Kill  is  grab  the  shovel,  Nucky  the  poker, 
and  Keats  the  tongs,  while  Philip  wrested  off 
a  table-leg,  and  Taulbee  and  others  either 
smashed  chairs  to  pieces  for  weapons,  or  seized 
remaining  table-legs,  then  indeed  I  felt  that 
death  was  imminent  for  all  concerned,  and, 
running  to  the  door,  shrieked  for  Howard  and 
the  big  boys  over  the  workshop.  Returning,  I 
plucked  the  broom  from  Iry,  and  rushed  with 
it,  straw  end  foremost,  into  the  thick  of  the 


"The   table    was 

overturned,    JpT 
chairs  were  fly- 
ing,   bedlam 
had    broken 
loose. " 


4i 


42  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

fight  I  was  lammed  on  the  head  by  a  shovel, 
on  the  shoulder  by  a  table-leg,  on  the  elbow  by 
something,— it  is  not  safe  to  say  what  might 
have  been  the  outcome  had  not  Howard  oppor- 
tunely arrived,  snatched  the  broom  from  me, 
and,  with  the  handle-end,  beaten  and  whacked 
the  boys  mercilessly  until  they  finally  sur- 
rendered their  weapons  and  retired,  bloody  but 
happy,  from  the  "battle." 

I  lay  long  awake  last  night,  not  from  fleas, 
but  nursing  bruises  and  reconstructing  theories. 
I  see  now  that  love  and  gentleness  need  to  be 
backed  up  by  good  muscle,  and  that  to  be  a 
success  in  my  undertaking  here  I  require,  not 
the  small  body  I  actually  possess,  but  the 
physique  of  an  Amazon.  Of  course  it  is  all  a 
mistake,  and  I  must  give  it  up,  even  sooner 
than  I  had  anticipated.  But  I  am  sorry, — the 
boys  are  most  attractive,  and  time  spent  with 
them  passes  with  lightning  swiftness, — in- 
credible as  it  seems,  for  seven  whole  days  I  have 


WAR,  NOT  PEACE  43 

not  had  a  chance  to  think  of  myself,  my  grief, 
my  loneliness.  Undoubtedly  this  is  the  Lethe 
I  need, — but  if  its  waves  buffet  me  to  bits,  what 
then? 

Later. 
Inspiration  came  when  I  visited  the  loom- 
house  this  morning,  and  saw  Cleo  Royce,  the 
head-weaving-girl,  at  her  work.  She  is  so 
large  and  handsome  and  strong, — a  young 
Juno,  with  glorious  muscle.  The  heads  are  to 
let  her  come  to  the  cottage  and  occupy  a  cot  in 
my  room, — I  am  determined  to  stay  out  my 
month. 

Wednesday. 
For  two  days  I  have  taken  away  their  scanty 
playtime  from  the  boys  in  punishment  of  their 
righting  Sunday  night.  Yesterday  I  talked  to 
them  very  solemnly  on  the  subject.  "Why, 
it's  just  an  accident  you  didn't  kill  one  another 
or  me,"  I  said,  "and  then  how  should  you  have 
felt?" 


44  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"I'd  hate  right  smart  to  kill  a  woman," 
replied  Nucky  Marrs;  "but  gee,  I  would'nt 
mind  laying  out  a  few  boys.  I  got  to  begin 
somewheres, — a  man  haint  nobody  till  he's 
kilt  off  a  few!" 

To-night  when  I  announced  that  regular 
twice-a-week  baths  must  begin  at  once,  and  that 
four  of  the  boys  must  get  ready  to  wash  them- 
selves, a  shout  of  delight  went  up,  "Whoopee! 
We  git  to  go  in  the  creek, — git  to  go  in  Peril- 
ous! "  — and  every  boy  demanded  to  be  one  of 
the  lucky  four.  When  I  explained  that  I  did  not 
mean  go  in  the  creek,  but  that  they  must  heat 
water  in  the  kettles  in  the  yard,  and  carry  it  to 
the  tubs  in  the  wash-house,  and  bathe  there, 
howls  of  indignation  succeeded.  "We  haint 
no  women!",  "I'll  go  home  first!",  "Dad  burn 
if  I'll  do  it!",  "Creeks  is  for  men!",  and  Philip 
remarked  scathingly,  "Nobody  but  quare 
women  would  wash  in  a  house  when  there's  a 
creek  handy!"    It  was  only  by  Cleo's  splendid 


WAR,  NOT  PEACE  45 

strength  that  four  were  finally  corralled  in  the 
wash-house. 

Friday. 

This  has  been  an  anxious  week.  The  ice 
once  broken  by  the  fight  Sunday  night,  every 
boy  has  felt  free  to  be  himself  again.  Nucky 
has  fought  every  boy  of  his  size  and  larger  at 
the  cottage,  and,  I  hear,  most  of  the  hundred 
day-school  boys;  Killis,  though  not  so  aggres- 
sive, is  quite  as  warlike;  and  the  others,  with  the 
sole  exception  of  Geordie,  are  not  much  behind. 
It  is  almost  impossible  for  me  to  get  garden- 
work  done,  so  much  of  my  time  must  be  spent 
breaking  up  fights. 

Even  at. meals  (fortunately  the  boys  and  I 
have  a  table  to  ourselves  in  the  dining-room  at 
the  big  house)  behavior  is  far  from  being  what 
it  should.  Tuesday  at  breakfast,  when  Geordie 
undertook  to  instruct  the  new  boys  in  table 
manners,  and  informed  Killis  it  was  not  proper 
to  eat  with  his  knife,  he  was  silenced  by  a  jab 


46  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

of  the  knife  in  his  direction  and  a  threat  to  cut 
out  his  liver;  at  dinner  Wednesday,  when 
Philip  snatched  a  corn-dodger  from  Keats's 
plate,  he  received  a  spoonful  of  "sop"  (gravy) 
full  in  the  face;  yesterday  when  Taulbee  made 
disparaging  remarks  about  Trigger  Branch, 
Nucky  plunged  the  prongs  of  a  steel  fork  so 
deeply  into  his  scalp  that  he  had  to  receive 
attention  from  the  trained  nurse.  It  is  difficult 
to  eat  with  one's  mind  so  distracted;  but  dis- 
traction is  far  better  than  desolation. 


GETTING  BETTER  ACQUAINTED 

Sunday  Night. 
I  have  been  hunting  Sunday  clothes  in  the 
barrels  sent  us  by  kind  friends, — the  garments 
the  children  bring  with  them  must  be  saved  for 
hard,  every-day  wear.  This  morning,  when  I 
eagerly  exhibited  the  Sunday  things  to  the  boys, 
I  was  doomed  to  disappointment.  They  ex- 
pressed boundless  contempt  for  the  short 
trousers,  flouted  the  knickerbockers  as  "meal 
pokes/'  and  declined  to  wear  the  pleated  and 
belted  coats.  Even  the  little  sailor  suit  I  had 
found  for  Jason  was  refused  with  scorn,  as  not 
being  "for  men."  White  shirts  most  of  them 
accepted,  but  collars  and  ties  were  different, — 
Taulbee  argued  that  even  preachers  didn't  wear 
those,  so  why  should  he? 
47 


48  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

I  was  non-plussed  for  five  minutes;  then  my 
eyes  chanced  to  rest  on  Killis,  the  noted  trav- 
eller. Sending  the  others  from  the  room,  I 
handed  him  a  dark-blue  suit,  very  little  worn, 
and  requested  him  to  get  into  my  closet  and 
put  it  on,  just  for  my  pleasure.  He  did  so,  and 
when  I  had  fastened  a  collar  and  a  soft  red  tie 
on  him,  I  invited  him  to  look  in  my  glass.  He 
was  frankly  delighted.  "By  dogs,  now,  did 
you  ever  see  anybody  look  as  good  as  me?"  he 
inquired. 

"I  think  I  never  did,"  I  replied  with  entire 
truth. 

"If  these  breeches  was  just  long,  I'd  keep 
these  here  clothes  and  wear  'em,"  he  said. 

"Short  breeches,"  I  assured  him,  "are  the 
very  latest  style  out  in  the  level  country; 
and,"  I  added,  "a  boy  who  has  seen  the  world 
and  ridden  on  a  railroad  train  is  the  very  one  to 
set  new  styles  here,— the  others  would  all 
follow  what  you  did." 


By  dogs,  now,  did  you  ever  see  anybody  look  as  good 
as  me?'" 
49 


SO  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Dad  bum  my  looks,  then,  if  I  don't  keep 
these  and  wear  'em!" 

"Very  well,"  I  said,  carelessly;  "go  along 
now  and  let  me  dress." 

My  dress  was  half-way  over  my  head  when 
the  entire  dozen  burst  into  my  room  without 
knocking.  Taking  refuge  in  the  closet,  I  let 
them  examine  the  "new-styles,"  and  fight  it 
out  over  disputed  garments.  Later,  having 
pinned  all  the  collars,  tied  all  the  ties,  parted 
all  the  hair,  and  at  the  last  moment  washed 
difficult  cracks  in  all  the  ears,  I  set  forth  with 
my  family  for  the  "church-house,"  swelling 
more  and  more  with  pride  at  every  step.  Never 
anywhere  have  I  seen  such  an  aristocratic- 
looking  set  of  boys. 

After  dinner,  made  wise  by  experience,  I 
took  them  for  a  long  walk  up  Perilous,  to  a 
beautiful,  retired  glen  where  they  could  play, 
fight  (without  weapons)  and  make  all  the 
noise  they  needed  to. 


GETTING  BETTER  ACQUAINTED  51 

On  the  way  back,  we  met  several  women  and 
girls  on  nags,  and  I  was  pained  to  see  that  my 
boys  did  not  remove  their  hats.  When  I  told 
them  they  must  do  so,  Philip  demanded  why. 

"To  show  the  respect  you  feel  for  women," 
I  replied. 

"But  I  haint  got  none,"  he  answered  can- 
didly; "they  never  done  nothing  for  me.  I'd 
ruther  take  off  my  hat  to  a  cow, — I  git  some- 
thing back  from  her!" 

This  from  the  namesake  of  the  Pattern  of 
Chivalry!  Philip  is  very  much  of  a  man,  and  a 
prodigious  worker, — in  the  shop  he  does  better 
work  than  most  of  the  grown-up  boys,  and  is 
actually  permitted  to  make  walnut  furniture 
for  the  big  house — but  he  certainly  lacks  minor 
virtues,  such  as  courtesy  and  cleanliness. 

After  supper  I  happened  to  ask  Killis  about 
his  name,  and  told  him  I  thought  he  must  be 
named  for  Achilles,  a  hero  who  lived  several 
thousand   years   ago,   and   was   the   greatest 


52  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

fighter  of  his  time.  There  were  unanimous 
demands  to  hear  all  about  him,  and  perforce  I 
started  in  telling  tales  of  the  Trojan  War. 
This  time  there  was  no  drowsiness,  but,  as  one 
great  combat  followed  another,  intense  interest, 
and  howls  of  remonstrance  when  I  tried  to  stop. 

I  have  found  acceptable  literary  food  for  my 
babes, — but  alas,  what  they  want  is  not  milk 
at  all,  but  blood! 

Wednesday  Bed-time. 

Jason,  my  "little  pet"  as  the  others  call  him, 
resents  any  allusion  to  the  fact  that  he  is  small, 
and  burns  to  play  the  man.  In  our  garden 
work,  he  seizes  shovels  and  mattocks  almost  as 
large  as  himself  from  the  bigger  boys,  and 
whacks  away  joyously  with  them.  To-day 
while  we  were  making  gravel  walks,  I  caught 
him  wheeling  Geordie's  barrow,  while  Geordic 
made  feeble  passes  at  the  gravel-bank  in  the 
creek  with  Jason's  little  broken-handled  pick. 
Geordie  explained, 


GETTING  BETTER  ACQUAINTED  53 

"That  'ere  little  Jason  says  he's  aiming  to 
leave  if  you  give  him  little-boy  jobs, — he  wants 
big  ones.  I  told  him  he  could  take  my  wheel- 
borrow  awhile, — that  I  were  willing  to  trade 
jobs  with  him,  to  favor  him." 

"I  don't  doubt  you  were,"  I  said,  sharply, — 
I  begin  to  fear  that  Geordie's  energy  and  talent 
reside  mostly  in  his  tongue. 

"He's  able  to  do  it  all  right,"  continued 
Geordie,  imperturbably.  "By  dogs,  you  ought 
to  have  seed  him  fight  out  two  of  them  little 
day-schools  at  a  time  yesterday!  Any  boy  can 
fight  like  that  ought  to  labor  some,  and  would 
have  to  if  he  weren't  a  pet!" 

This  evening  while  Keats  gave  me  a  glowing 
description  of  Nervesty's  vinegar-pies  (it  would 
appear  that  his  affection  for  her  has  no  few  of  its 
roots  in  his  stomach)  and  the  other  boys  played 
numble-peg  outside  my  window,  what  were  my 
grief  and  surprise  to  hear  the  most  fearful  oaths 
I  ever  listened  to  issue  from  the  sensitive  lips 


54  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

of  the  "pure  scholar."  Of  course  all  the  boys 
swear;  but  this  was  the  worst  ever.  Where 
can  he  have  learned  it,  and  his  father  such  a 
perfect  gentleman?  When  I  called  him  in  and 
rebuked  him,  he  was  much  downcast, — said  he 
didn't  aim  to  cuss,  but  he  had  been  at  it  so  long 
he  couldn't  quit.  I  told  him  the  only  way  was 
to  keep  on  trying,  and  how  very,  very  happy  it 
would  make  me  when  he  should  succeed;  and  he 
promised  to  try  and  try,  "because,"  he  added, 
almost  in  a  whisper,  "I  like  you."  "And  I 
love  you,"  I  said,  gathering  his  thin  little  body 
to  my  heart.  How  happy  his  words  made  me, — 
they  are  the  first  to  indicate  that  any  of  the  boys 
care  for  me.  They  have  a  great  deal  of  reserve, 
and  are  hard  to  get  acquainted  with,  especially 
Nucky.  But  at  least  they  are  not  leaving  as 
they  did. 


VI 
A  TRADE  AND  OTHER  MATTERS 

Saturday  Night. 

Mrs.  Salyer  came  in  Thursday  bringing  some 
large  pokes  of  beans,  a  gift  to  the  school,  and  a 
saddle-bag  full  of  apples  for  her  boys.  Next 
morning  while  supervising  bed-making,  I  hap- 
pened to  glance  into  the  box  on  the  wall  where 
Keats  had  put  the  apples  the  night  before,  and, 
to  my  surprise,  saw  that  they  were  all  gone. 
"We  et  half  of  'em  off'n'on  in  the  night,  and 
Keats  traded  t'other  half  off  to  Geordie  before 
we  got  up,"  explained  Hen, — the  three  occupy 
the  same  bed. 

On  my  idle  inquiry  as  to  what  Geordie  gave 

for  them,  Keats  produced  with  pride  a  mangy 

little  purse,  about  the  size  of  a  dollar,  looking  as 

if  it  had  been  well-chewed. 
55 


56  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Why,  that  wasn't  a  fair  trade/'  I  said, 
"one  apple  would  have  been  all  that  purse 
was  worth.  I  must  speak  to  Geordie  about 
that." 

Of  course  in  the  rush  later  I  forgot  it.  Moses 
and  Zachariah  having  departed  without  fare- 
wells later  in  the  day,  I  gave  Geordie  permission 
next  morning  to  go  to  an  uncle's  over  on  Bald 
Eagle  and  bring  back  his  elder  brother,  Absalom, 
to  the  school.  Before  leaving,  he  "gave  me  his 
hand"  to  be  back  "before  the  sun-ball  draps 
this  evening."  The  sun-ball  drapped  and  rose 
and  drapped  again,  however,  before  he  returned; 
and  last  night  as  the  boys  were  starting  to  bed, 
Philip  asked  me  if  I  knew  how  much  Geordie 
had  made  on  those  apples  he  traded  Keats  out 
of.  "He  sold  seven  to  the  day-schools  for  a 
cent  apiece,  and  six  to  the  manimal  trainer  for 
a  dime,  and  three  to  Taulbee  for  a  big  ginger- 
cake  he  brung  with  him,  and  I  give  him  a  good 
taw  for  a  couple  more,  and  he  traded  the  two 


A  TRADE  AND  OTHER  MATTERS    57 

little  wormy  ones  that  was  left  to  Keats  for  a 
purse." 

"What  purse?"  I  inquired. 

"That  'ere  one  Keats  swapped  him  all  the 
apples  for  at  first, — the  one  you  said  weren't 
worth  more'n  one  apple.  Keats  told  him  you 
said  so,  and  he  said  he  would  prove  it  were  by 
giving  Keats  two-down  for  it,  if  he  wanted;  and 
Keats  was  glad  to  make  the  trade." 

"Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,"  I  asked,  "that 
Geordie  made  seventeen  cents,  a  gingercake, 
a  taw  and  the  purse,  out  of  that  trade, 
and  Keats  lost  everything  but  two  wormy 
apples?" 

Philip  scratched  his  head  thoughtfully.  "By 
grab,  he  skinned  the  little  Salyer,  didn't  he? 
Gee,  I  wisht  I  was  a  born  trader  like  him,  dag 
gone  his  ole  soul!" 

When  Geordie  returned  to-night  with  Absa- 
lom, his  jaw  was  tied  up  in  a  red  bandana,  he 
wore  a  look  of  patient  suffering,  and  explained 


58  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

that  he  had  had  such  a  sorry  time  with  tooth- 
ache he  could  not  return  yesterday,  indignantly 
repudiating  Philip's  suggestion  that  he  had  just 
wanted  to  stay  and  see  a  big  time  with  the 
Yontses  and  drink  their  moonshine.  Later, 
when,  while  filling  a  hot-water  bag  for  him,  I 
regretfully  spoke  to  him  on  the  subject  of  cheat- 
ing in  trades,  he  was  deeply  hurt,  said  he  had 
traded  the  apples  back  to  Keats  only  to  favor 
him,  and  confided  in  me  that  he  aimed  to  be  a 
preacher  when  he  growed  up. 

Sunday  Night. 

During  the  ear-washing  this  morning,  I  had 
another  round  with  Philip,  whose  ears  are 
always  the  grimiest,  hair  the  most  unkempt, 
clothes  the  most  tattered.  "Philip,"  I  said, 
with  a  groan,  "you  could  be  the  handsomest 
boy  on  the  place  if  you  only  would !" 

He  replied  contemptuously,  "Handsome 
never  earnt  his  salt;  when  a  man  steps  in  the 
door,  looks  flies  up  the  chimley!,, 


A  TRADE  AND  OTHER  MATTERS    59 

In  the  midst  of  our  altercation,  Absalom 
sauntered  into  my  room,  took  his  stand  before 
my  mirror,  and  proceeded  to  give  his  hair  a 
good  dressing  with  my  brush  and  comb. 

Later,  as  I  saw  Geordie  walking  to  church 
with  a  Bible  under  his  arm,  heard  his  heart-felt 
singing  of  the  hymns,  and  watched  his  pious, 
soap-shining  face,  I  wondered  I  could  ever  have 
thought  he  meant  to  cheat  anybody. 

The  Trojan  War  made  fine  progress  to-night, 
— it  is  only  on  Saturday  and  Sunday  nights  that 
we  can  have  stories,  as  other  evenings  must  be 
spent  in  study.  From  the  first,  Killis  has 
identified  himself  with  his  famous  namesake, 
while  Nucky  has  as  inevitably  taken  sides  with 
the  Trojans  and  Hector,  so  much  so  that  the 
boys  call  him  "Trojan."  This  evening  he  was 
scathing  in  his  denunciation  of  Achilles.  ' '  Gee, ' ' 
he  said,  "I  wisht  them  Greeks  had  a-had  a  man 
along.  Now  if  Blant  had  a-been  there,  you'd  a 
seed  some  fighting!    He  wouldn't  have  sulled 


60  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

around  in  no  tent  none !  He'd  a-got  the  drap  on 
Hector  allus-ago,  same  as  he  done  on  Elhannon 
and  Todd  and  Dalt  Cheever  when  they  lay- 
wayed  him  in  April.  He  was  riding  along  past 
the  cliff  where  they  was  hid  in  the  bushes,  and 
heared  the  click  of  the  lock  when  Elhannon 
cocked  his  trigger,  and  whirled  around  and 
poured  six  bullets  into  'em  before  they  could  fire 
their  guns,  killing  Elhannon  and  very  nigh 
killing  t'other  two." 

Wednesday. 
I  expected  that  with  Iry's  abilities  in  the  way 
of  spelling,  he  would  be  the  pride  and  prodigy  of 
the  school;  but  I  am  pained  to  learn  from  his 
teacher  that  he  can  do  nothing  but  spell.  It 
seems  that  in  the  five-month  district  school  he 
has  attended  three  terms  over  on  Rakeshin, 
nothing  was  taught  but  reading  and  spelling, — 
two  lessons  a  day  in  the  former,  two  in  the  latter, 
— thus  does  our  noble  commonwealth  do  her 
duty  when  she  does  it  at  all!    Iry  has  had  to  go 


A  TRADE  AND  OTHER  MATTERS    61 

back  into  the  first  grade  to  learn  the  rudiments 
of  arithmetic,  geography,  grammar,  etc. 

Last  night  Taulbee,  the  eldest,  who  is  very 
opinionated,  took  occasion  to  enter  a  general 
protest  against  innovations  such  as  night- 
gowns, tooth-brushes,  fine-combs  and  the  like, 
and  wound  up  by  arraigning  the  school  methods 
of  cooking.  "Them  little  small  biscuits  you-all 
have  don't  make  half  of  a  good  bite,"  he  de- 
clared: "You  women/'  he  continued,  severely, 
"think  you  know  so  much,  and  lay  down  so 
many  laws,  and,  by  Ned,  you  don't  even  know 
how  to  bile  beans ! " 

"How  should  beans  be  cooked?"  I  inquired. 

"A  pot  of  string  beans  calls  for  a  big  chunk  of 
fat  pork  and  about  four  handful'  of  lard  throwed 
in,  to  be  fitten  to  eat,"  he  said;  "I  haint  tasted  a 
right  bean  sence  I  come  here." 

This  afternoon  arrived  a  solemn  little  man  of 
eleven  from  over  on  Clinch,  named  Hosea 
Fields,  to  take  the  one  vacant  place. 


62  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

When  Jason  came  up  from  his  bath  to-night, 
he  rolled  up  his  gown  sleeve  and  held  out  a  pink 
arm  to  me.  "Just  feel  my  muscle,"  he  said, 
"Oh,  I'm  so  nervy !" 

"I  reckon  he  is,"  said  Keats,  "I  seed  him  lay 
out  three-at-a-time  of  them  little  primaries  at 
recess  to-day." 

Last  time  it  was  two,  now  it  is  three.  Of 
course  these  reports  must  be  exaggerated, — 
such  a  baby  could  not  be  so  warlike.  Taking 
him  in  my  arms  and  giving  him  a  good  hug,  I 
said,  "Jason,  dear,  I  want  you  to  remember  that 
it  is  wrong  for  little  boys  to  fight." 

Objections  to  bathing  have  been  withdrawn, 
and  the  boys  for  some  nights  have  gone  to  the 
wash-house  with  such  alacrity  that  my  suspi- 
cions were  aroused,  and  I  found  they  were 
taking  advantage  of  their  nude  condition,  and 
freedom  from  interruption,  to  do  great  stunts  of 
fighting,  the  bathing  being  entirely  lost  sight  of. 
I  have  been  compelled  to  make  a  rule  that  each 


w*r 


Just  feel  my  muscle,'  he  said,  'Oh,  I'm  so  nervy!" 
63 


64  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

boy  must  present  himself  in  his  clean  gown  after 
his  bath  at  my  door  for  inspection  of  head, 
ears,  neck  and  feet. 


VII 

HEROES  AND   HERO  WORSHIP 

Saturday  Bed-time. 
While  the  boys  were  scrubbing  their  rooms 
after  breakfast  this  morning,  Keats  sauntered 
in,  saying  he  had  finished  his  job  of  cleaning  the 
chicken-yard.  I  went  back,  found  it  anything 
but  clean,  and  called  up  to  Hen,  who  was 
sweeping  the  back  steps,  "Tell  Keats  to  come 
back  here  and  clean  this  yard  better!"  He  had 
just  passed  the  word  along,  "Hi,  son,  she  says 
for  you  to  come  back  and  lick  your  calf  over!" 
(I  am  becoming  used  to  being  "she"  and  "her" 
on  all  occasions)  when  Nucky  appeared  in  the 
back  door,  waving  excitedly  for  me.  Not  know- 
ing what  battle,  murder  or  sudden  death  might 

be  in  progress,  I  flew  up  the  walk.    The  boys 
6s 


66  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

were  all  hanging  out  the  front  door.  Nucky 
shot  me  through  them  like  a  catapult,  saying, 
"Take  a  look  at  that  'ere  man, — it's  Asher 
Hardwick,  from  over  in  Bloody  Boyne.  He's 
kilt  twenty-four  in  war,  and  nine  in  peace,  and 
wouldn't  wipe  his  foot  on  Achilles! " 

A  gray,  venerable-looking  man  was  passing 
down  the  road  on  an  ambling  nag.  "That  man 
wouldn't  hurt  a  fly,"  I  said;  "you  must  be  mis- 
taken." 

"No,  I  haint, — I've  seed  him  before.  Of 
course  he  wouldn't  hurt  nobody  less'n  he  was 
driv'  to  it;  but  the  Mohuns  just  wouldn't 
give  him  no  peace  at  all  till  they  was  all  kilt  off, 
— same  as  the  Cheevers  does  us." 

"But  how  could  he  kill  nine  in  peace?"  I 
asked. 

"  Kilt  them  just  accidental, — they  was  witless 
folk  that  never  knowed  enough  to  keep  out  of 
his  way  when  he  was  out  after  Mohuns.  Asher 
he'd  feel  terrible  about  such  as  that." 


HEROES  AND   HERO  WORSHIP  67 

To-night  as  I  related  more  Trojan  War,  there 
were  frequent  interruptions  from  Nucky  (who, 
during  the  stories,  holds  the  place  at  my  right 
hand  always)  such  as,  "I  can  beat  that  with 
Asher  Hardwick!",  "Blant  wouldn't  have  took 
no  such  sass  from  Agamemnon  or  nobody !", 
and  then  would  follow  stories  which  did  indeed 
sometimes  beat  Greeks  and  Trojans. 

Later,  he  remarked,  "If  Hector  and  Achilles 
and  them  had  a-lived  now-a-days,  they'd  have 
got  song-ballads  made  up  about  'em,  same  as 
Asher  and  Blant.  There's  four  or  five  about 
Asher—  " 

"I  know  one,"  interrupted  Absalom. 

"And  there's  one  about  Blant's  revengement 
on  the  Cheevers  when  they  laywayed  him  in 
April, — Basil  Beaumont,  over  on  Powderhorn, 
he  made  it." 

"I  know  that,  too,"  said  Absalom. 

"Achilles  and  Hector,"  I  said,  "did  have  song 
ballads  made  up  about  them,  the  very  tales  I  am 


68  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

relating  to  you  now;  and  a  great  blind  poet, 
named  Homer,  went  about  singing  them  from 
palace  to  palace.' ' 

"Same  as  Basil  Beaumont,"  said  Nucky;  "he 
don't  never  do  a  lick  of  work, — folks  gives  him 
his  bed  and  vittles  just  to  set  in  the  chimley- 
corner  and  pick  and  sing  song-ballads." 

Geordie  had  left  the  room  when  Absalom 
spoke;  he  now  returned  with  a  small,  home- 
made banjo — produced,  I  suppose,  from  the 
mysterious  locked  box  he  keeps  there — and 
Absalom,  tuning  it,  began  to  pick  and  sing  an 
indescribably  bloody  and  doleful  song,  "The 
Doom  of  the  Mohuns,"  which  fairly  made  my 
blood  run  cold.  This  finished,  "Blant's  Re- 
vengement,,  was  demanded  and  sung,  the 
words  of  it  being  as  follows: 

Blant  Marrs  he  was  a  fighting  boy, 

Most  handy  with  his  gun. 
On  Trigger  Branch  of  Powderhorn 

His  famous  deeds  were  done. 


HEROES  AND   HERO  WORSHIP  69 

For  thirty  year'  the  war  it  raged 

All  o'er  a  strip  of  bottom. 
Sometimes  the  Marrses  triumphed  strong, 

Again,  the  Cheevers  got  'em. 

His  paw  lamed  up,  his  uncles  kilt, 
Five  year'  Blant  mourned  his  land, 

Until,  good-grown,  beside  the  fence 
He  took  his  battle-stand. 

Then  Ben  and  Jeems  they  bit  the  dust 

And  perished  in  their  gore, 
And  many  Cheevers  his  good  gun 

Felt  sharp,  and  dreaded  sore. 

Elhannon,  Todd  and  Dalton  then 

Planned  Blant  for  to  layway 
All  unbeknownst,  while  travelling 

Upon  a  fair  spring  day. 

Beneath  a  cliff  where  Trigger  bends 

In  ambush  they  lay  low. 
Oh,  Blant,  you  better  say  your  prayers! 

Death  lurks  at  your  elbow! 

Oh,  Blant,  I  wish  you  was  safe  at  home; 

I  think  you'll  never  be; 
I  would  not  give  a  tallow-dip 

For  all  your  chance  I  see! 


70  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

He  comes,  he  hears  a  swift  lock  click, 

And,  swifter  than  the  wind, 
He  turns,  six  barrels  emptying 

Before  they  can  begin. 

Elhannon  nevermore  will  see 

The  sun  rise  o'er  the  peak; 
And  Todd  and  Dalt,  up  from  their  wounds, 

Far,  absent  countries  seek. 

During  the  singing,  the  other  boys  cast 
envious  glaces  in  Nucky's  direction,  and  Philip 
probably  voiced  the  sentiments  of  all  when  he 
exclaimed, 

"Dag  gone,  I  wisht  I  had  a  big  brother  as 
mean  as  Blant!" 


VIII 

DRESS,    CHIVALRY  AND  THE  TROJAN 
WAR 

Sunday  Evening. 

When  we  were  ready  to  start  for  church  this 
morning,  I  was  surprised  to  see  Nucky  halt 
before  me,  and  eye  me  frowningly  from  head 
to  foot.  "What  makes  you  alius  wear  ole 
ugly  clothes?,,  he  inquired.  "Haint  you  got 
no  pretty  ones,  like  t'other  women?" 

I  looked  down  at  my  black  crepe  de  chine, — 
of  course  I  have  worn  deep  mourning  since  I  lost 
Mother,  and  for  six  years  before  I  had  not  had 
on  a  color.     "You  don't  like  it?"  I  asked. 

"I'd  as  soon  look  at  a  coal-bank,  or  a  buz- 
zard," he  replied. 

It  suddenly  struck  me  that  the  dear  ones  I 

have  loved  and  lost  would  be  of  much  the  same 
71 


72  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

opinion.  "Wait  a  minute,  boys,"  I  said.  I 
flew  back  and  pulled  from  my  trunk  a  white 
dress  and  some  black  ribbons  laid  away  a  year 
ago.  When  I  emerged,  there  was  a  chorus  of 
pleased  "gee-ohs"  and  a  decided  accession  of 
friendliness,  the  boys  trying  who  could  be  first 
in  helping  me  over  the  frightful  mudholes 
between  the  school  and  the  village.  I  see  my 
duty  clear  now, — white  dresses  instead  of  black. 

Thursday. 

Considering  the  antecedents  of  Nucky  and 
Killis,  I  was  not  surprised  when  they  informed 
me  this  morning  they  would  make  beds  no 
longer,  but  would  leave  unless  given  men's 
work  all  the  time.  My  reply,  "But  making 
beds  if  men's  work,"  was  met  by  incredulous 
whistles. 

"Now,  boys,"  I  said,  "how  about  soldiers, — 
do  you  call  them  men?" 

"By  grab,  them's  the  only  men  is  men, — I'd 
ruther  be  dead  as  not  to  be  one,"  said  Nucky. 


DRESS,  CHIVALRY  AND  THE  TROJAN  WAR     73 

"Gee,  fighting's  the  best  job  there  is," 
agreed  Killis. 

"Well,  soldiers  make  their  beds  every  single 
day,"  I  said;  "I  have  a  cousin  right  now  at 
West  Point,  learning  to  be  a  soldier,  and  when 
he  gets  out  he  will  command  a  whole  company, 
and  he  makes  his  bed  every  morning,  and 
couldn't  be  a  soldier  if  he  didn't." 

The  two  stood,  dazed  and  pondering,  for  some 
minutes;  then  Nucky  quietly  flung  an  end  of  the 
sheet  across  to  Killis,  with  the  words,  "There, 
son,  take-a-holt  of  that  kiver,  and  le's  lay  it 
straight!" 

To  my  great  relief,  I  heard  Keats  singing  a 
more  cheerful  song  at  his  work  to-day: 

Wisht  I  was  a  little  turkle-dove, 
Setting  on  a  limb  so  high. 
I'd  take  my  darling  on  my  knee 
And  bid  this  world  goodbye! 

and  at  dinner,  by  actual  count,  he  ate  nine 
corn-dodgers,   three   helpings  of  string-beans, 


74  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

four  sweet-potatoes  and  I  know  not  how  much 
sorghum. 

He  still  sits  with  me  in  the  evenings,  and  I 
feel  now  that  I  have  always  known  Nervesty 
and  the  four  small  children  at  home,  especially 
Sammy  the  baby,  not  to  mention  Charlie,  the 
"flea-bit"  nag,  Ole  Suke,  the  "pied"  cow,  with 
her  twin  sons  the  steers  Buck  and  Brandy,  and 
her  daughter  Reddy  the  heifer  (now  the  proud 
possessor  of  a  little  "pied"  calf  and  a  "blind" 
teat),  also  the  big  black  sow,  Julia,  who,  true  to 
mountain  traditions,  never  has  less  than  nine 
in  her  family,  and  above  all  the  wonderful  dog, 
Ponto,  who  appears  to  be  all  that  a  dog  can,  and 
more.  And  not  infrequently  during  these  talks 
Keats  is  called  out  to  help  fight  some  antagonist 
of  Hen's  (though  there  is  often  civil  war  between 
the  brothers,  they  always  combine  against  out- 
side aggression);  and  at  other  times  Hen  will 
pause  breathless  on  his  swift  way  through  house 
or  yard   to   corroborate    some   statement   of 


DRESS,  CHIVALRY  AND  THE  TROJAN  WAR     75 

Keats's  with,  "  Gee,  woman,  that  'ere's  a  dandy 
of  a  dog!  He  can  do  anything  but  climb  a  tree, 
and  he  gits  half-way  up  them.  He  rounds  up 
the  shoats  and  drives  up  Ole  Suke  and  the 
steers  gooder  than  I  can;  and  possums!  ground- 
hogs! polecats!  dad  burn  my  looks  if  he  haint 
the  beatenest  ever  you  seed!" 

Friday. 

I  have  tried  all  along  to  respect  Jason's 
feelings,  and  give  him  jobs  which  would  injure 
neither  his  pride  nor  his  person.  But  yesterday 
while  we  were  spading  up  a  patch  for  turnip-and- 
mustard-greens,  I  forgot  and  sent  him  off  to  the 
school-yard  to  pick  up  trash.  An  hour  later,  I 
heard  from  a  passer-by  that  he  had  been  seen  a 
mile  up  Perilous.  "Don't  you  recollect  him 
a-saying  he  would  leave  if  you  give  him  little- 
boy  jobs?  "    Geordie  reminded  me. 

"Saddle  the  nag  and  hurry  after  him,"  I 
implored  Taulbee.  Sometime  later,  he  over- 
took the  proud  child  on  his  way  to  Spraddle 


76  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Creek,  and  brought  him  back  under  pro- 
test. 

The  boys  say  they  see  no  good  reason  why 
they  should  say  "yes  ma'am"  and  "no  ma'am." 
When  I  told  them  it  was  for  the  sake  of  polite- 
ness, Philip  replied,  "Polite's  a  lick-spittle, — I 
don't  aim  to  be  polite, — I  don't  have  to, — I'm 
able  to  get  what  I  want  without  it!" 

This  last  is  only  too  true.  "For  they  shall 
take  who  have  the  power,  and  they  shall  keep 
who  can,"  is  the  creed  of  all,  but  more  especially 
of  Philip.  This  noon,  when  Iry's  father  had 
sent  him  from  Rakeshin  a  fine,  yellow,  mellow 
apple,  and  the  "pure  scholar"  was  eating 
it  as  frugally  and  lingeringly  as  possible,  Philip, 
came  along,  snatched  it,  bit  off  three-fourths, 
and  coolly  handed  back  the  fragment  to 
Iry,  who,  howling  dismally,  still  had  no  re- 
dress. 

"To  think  you  could  do  such  a  base  thing!" 
I  exclaimed, — "Rob  a  little  boy  who  cannot 


DRESS,  CHIVALRY  AND  THE  TROJAN  WAR     77 

defend  himself.    You  ought  to  be  everlastingly 
ashamed!" 

"I  was  behind  the  door  when  shame  passed 
by,"  replied  the  robber,  flippantly. 

"You  were  indeed,"  I  agreed;  "I  would  not 
believe  that  a  boy  named  Philip  Sidney  could  be 
guilty  of  such  a  thing."  Then  I  told  him  the 
story  of  the  great  Sir  Philip,  mortally  wounded, 
fevered  and  athirst,  handing  the  cup  of  water  to 
the  dying  soldier  beside  him,  with  the  words, 
"Your  need  is  greater  than  mine." 

He  pondered  a  moment,  then  remarked, 
"No  man'd  be  such  a  fool, — I  bet  it's  just  a 
slander  they  made  up  on  him!" 

I  told  him  he  should  lose  three  days'  play- 
time for  his  rapacity. 

Sunday  Night. 

Last  night  the  Trojan  War  reached  a  climax 
in  the  death  of  Horse-Taming  Hector,  amid 
shouts  of  joy  from  Killis,  and  howls  of  fury  from 
Nucky.   I  have  seen  for  two  weeks  that  consid- 


78  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

erable  feeling  has  developed  between  the  two 
on  the  subject,  intensifying  the  natural  jealousy 
each  has  of  the  prowess  and  reputation  of  the 
other. 

This  morning  I  had  left  the  boys  at  the  big 
house  to  help  with  the  breakfast  dishes — the 
regular  Sunday  proceeding — and  was  standing 
in  the  back  cottage  door  drinking  in  the  beauty 
of  the  morning  and  the  Sabbath  peace  of  the 
hills,  when  savage  yells  smote  my  ears.  Follow- 
ing the  sound,  I  ran  to  the  school-yard.  When 
I  arrived,  Nucky  had  just  buried  his  teeth  in 
Killis's  arm,  from  which  the  blood  was  spurting, 
while  Killis  was  striking  out  fiercely  with  his 
knife.  Around  the  combatants  the  other  boys 
formed  a  delighted,  cheering  circle,  within 
which  Philip  danced  madly  about,  shouting, 

Fight,  dogs,  you  haint  no  kin, 

T  you  kill  one  another,  taint  no  sin! 

In  another  second,  Nucky  had  abandoned  the 
hold  with  his  teeth,  and  was  flashing  his  own 


"'Fight,  dogs,  you  haint  no  kin, 
'F  you  kill  one  another,  taint 
no  sin!"' 


79 


8o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

knife  around  Killis's  throat.  With  a  shinny- 
stick,  I  knocked  up  one  knife  after  the  other, 
and  kept  death  at  bay  until  four  of  the  grown- 
up boys  arrived  and  with  difficulty  separated 
the  heroes  and  escorted  them  to  the  hospital  to 
have  their  wounds  staunched  and  dressed. 
Later,  I  heard  that  Nucky  had  begun  it  by 
leaping  upon  Killis  with  the  words,  "I'll  show 
you  Hector  haint  dead  yet ! " 

To-night  when  I  had  the  two  in  durance  vile, 
and  talked  to  them  more  severely  than  I  had 
yet  done  on  the  evils  of  fighting,  Nucky,  the 
aggressor,  gave  as  his  excuse  that  his  great- 
great-great-grandpa  w  had  fit  the  British,  his 
great-great-grandpaw  the  Indians,  his  great- 
grandpaw  the  Mexicans,  his  grandpaw  the 
Rebels,  and  his  paw  and  Blant  the  Cheevers 
ever  since  he  could  recollect,  and  that  he  him- 
self was  just  bound  to  fight. 

This  was  sound  reasoning;  and  it  brought 
before  me  with  hitherto  unrealized  force  the 


DRESS,  CHIVALRY^AND  THE  TROJAN  WAR     81 

fact  that  these  boys  are  in  very  truth  the  sons  of 
heroes, — of  forefathers  who  fought  gloriously 
for  freedom  in  the  Revolution,  afterward  sub- 
dued the  wilderness  and  the  savages,  and  have 
since  poured  forth  as  one  man  from  their  fast- 
nesses to  safeguard  the  Union  in  every  emer- 
gency; and  that  here,  forgotten  and  neglected  by 
an  ungrateful  state  and  nation,  is  the  precious 
stuff  of  which  great  patriots  and  heroes  are 
made. 

Therefore  I  did  not  upbraid  Nucky  and  Killis 
further;  I  merely  explained  to  them  the  differ- 
ence between  fighting  just  to  be  fighting,  and 
fighting  to  save  one's  country,  and,  since  they 
had  no  idea  who  the  "British,"  the  "Mexicans" 
and  the  "Rebels"  were,  told  them  something  of 
the  history  and  causes  of  those  wars,  and  how  I 
hoped  that  they,  too,  when  necessary,  would 
fight  for  their  nation.  And  though  to  them  at 
first  their  country  meant  their  mountains  only, 
and  they  were  surprised  to  hear  that  the  great 


8a  M    llll  RING  ON  PERILOUS 

"level  land"  beyond  was  also  theirs  to  love  and 
fight  for,  their  affections  were  hospitable,  and 
with  one  voice  they  demanded  that  an  enemy  of 
the  nation  be  produced  at  once. 

Here  endeth  the  Trojan  War,-  I  see  that  it 
has  fanned  a  flame  already  too  intense.  Even 
little  Jason  slipped  out  under  the  benches  at 
( Imn  h  thll  morning,  while  I  played  the  organ, 
and  ind  an  hour  later  out  in  the  road  in 

front  of  the  court-house,  covered  with  mud,  but 
glowing  with  the  white-hot  joy  of  having 
"whupped-out  four-at-a-timc"  of  the  little 
village  boys.  Hereafter  I  shall  tell  and  read 
stories  of  heroes  who  won  glory  by  fighting,  not 
one  another,  but  dragons,  giants,  gorgons,  and 
like  destroyers  of  their  countries. 

Nucky  inquired  of  me  at  supper  to-night 

when  he  might  make  a  visit  home  to  Trigger; 

whereupon  there  was  an  instant  and  unanimous 

r  on  the  part  of  the  boys  to  accompany  him, 

when  he  goes,  and  see  the  hero  Blant.     He 


DRESS,  CHIVALRY  AND  THE  TROJAN  WAR    83 

shook  his  head.  "  I  haint  aiming  to  take  none  of 
you,"  he  said,  "not  if  she'll  go  'long  with  me," 
looking  at  me. 

"I?"  I  said,  much  complimented.  "Why, 
surely  I  will  if  I  can.  But  it  is  three  weeks  yet 
before  your  time  comes:" — the  children  are 
permitted  to  go  home  over  week-ends  every 
seven  or  eight  weeks,  in  rotation.  I  am  glad 
he  wants  me,  and  feel  a  considerable  desire  to 
visit  Trigger. 


IX 

MORE  TRADING,  AND  SOME  FAMILY 
HISTORY 

First  Monday  in  September. 

Four  weeks  to-day  since  I  acquired  my  family 
of  sons,  and  now  it  seems  as  if  I  had  had  them 
always.  So  far  from  being  ready  to  leave  now 
my  month  is  out,  wild  horses  could  not  drag  me 
away.  The  hours,  once  so  leaden,  pass  with 
lightning  swiftness;  there  is  never  any  time  for 
depression,  or  for  looking  into  a  desolate  and 
dreaded  future;  my  days  are  crammed  with 
human  interest,  exciting  as  a  dime  novel.  Be- 
sides, although  I  see  no  evidence  that  the  boys 
care  much  for  me,  I  care  a  great  deal  for  them, 
and  would  not  willingly  leave  them. 

Geordie  brought  back  with  him  from  our  walk 
yesterday  a  large  bundle  of  elder-poles.    This 


MORE  TRADING  85 

morning,  mumble-peg  went  out,  and  pop-guns 
came  in,  like  a  clap  of  thunder,  and  I  heard  that 
Geordie  was  selling  lengths  of  elder  to  the  boys 
for  two  cents,  or  a  satisfactory  equivalent.  It 
was  impossible  this  afternoon  to  get  manure 
hauled  to  the  new  flower-borders, — every  time  a 
barrow  would  get  out  of  sight,  the  wheeler  would 
sit  down  on  it  and  go  to  whittling  a  pop-gun. 
After  being  scolded  a  third  time,  Philip  com- 
plained bitterly  to  me, 

"If  you  never  wanted  us  to  have  pop-guns, 
whyn't  you  take  them  poles  away  from  Geordie 
yesterday?  Dad  burn  my  looks,  we  git  all  the 
blame,  and  he  gits  all  the  gain, — he's  a  making 
it  hand  over  fist." 

"He  was  the  only  one  who  thought  of  putting 
the  elder  to  use,"  I  said.  "I  suppose  he  has  a 
right  to  his  gains." 

Philip  sadly  admitted  the  justice  of  this  view. 
"Dag  gone  me"  he  sighed,  "I  wisht  I  was  a 
born  trader  and  forelooker  like  him!     Good 


86  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

thing  I  haint  aiming  to  be  no  preacher,  I'd 
starve  to  death  the  first  week.  But  Geordie  he's 
cut  out  for  it" 

" I'm  afraid  I  don't  see  the  connection 
between  trading  and  preaching,"  I  said. 

"Well,  preachers  can't  take  no  money  for 
preaching — it  would  be  a  sin — and  they  haint 
got  much  time  for  tending  craps  and  such,  and 
less'n  they  good  traders  they  mighty  apt  to 
starve.  Geordie  he  haint  never  going  to  run  out 
of  wheat-flour,  let  alone  corn  meal.  Gee!  if  you 
could  see  the  things  he's  got  in  that  locked  box 
of  his!" 

"What  has  he?"    I  asked. 

"Oh,  /  haint  never  seed  'em, — nobody  haint; 
but  any  minute  in  the  day  he  can  run  his  hand  in 
and  pull  out  something  a  boy'll  think  he's  pine.- 
blank  bound  to  have  or  die! " 

When  I  heard  to-night  that  Keats's  tooth- 
brush, Jason's  blue  necktie  I  gave  him,  Hen's 
fine-comb  and  pencil,  Iry's  "gallusses,"  and 


MORE  TRADING  87 

Nucky's  only  handkerchief,  were  among  the 
articles  traded  for  pop-gun  material,  I  was 
moved  to  wrath  with  Geordie;  but  when  he 
displayed  to  me  the  small  and  apparently 
worthless  things  he  had  accepted  from  other 
boys, — a  torn  woolen  comforter  from  Taulbee, 
Killis's  holey  mittens,  Joab's  worn-out  yarn 
socks,  and  a  handful  of  rusty  horse-shoe  nails 
from  Hosea,  it  seemed  to  me  that,  on  the  whole, 
there  had  not  been  such  exorbitant  exchanges 
for  the  joy  of  a  pop-gun,  and  I  softened  my 
reprimand. 

Thursday. 
Mrs.  Salver  rode  in  to-day  to  see  her  boys,  a 
watermelon  in  one  saddle-pocket,  a  lot  of  fine 
pawpaws  in  the  other.  Oh  the  joy  of  the  "  two 
homesicks"!  Before  leaving,  she  said  that  her 
cousin  Emmeline's  funeral  occasion  was  set  for 
the  fourth  Saturday  and  Sunday  in  October,  and 
she  hoped  her  boys  might  be  permitted  to  come 
home  at  that  time  and  pay  their  respects  to 


88  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Emmeline,  adding  that  she  would  be  pleased  to 
have  me  come  with  them.  In  answer  to  my 
puzzled  inquiries — for  I  failed  to  see  how  Emme- 
line's  death  could  be  so  nicely  calculated  in 
advance — she  explained  that  funerals  are  never 
held  in  this  country  at  the  time  of  burial,  when 
it  is  usually  impossible  to  get  a  preacher,  but 
that  they  are  conducted  in  deliberate  and 
appropriate  style  a  year  or  two  after  the  death. 

This  is  to  be  the  little  Salyers'  first  visit 
home — we  think  it  best  they  shall  not  go  until 
then — and  never,  I  suppose,  was  a  funeral- 
occasion  the  subject  of  such  desire  and  rejoicing. 

Sunday  Night. 

For  two  weeks  we  have  been  reading  Haw- 
thorne's Wonder  Tales;  and  this  afternoon  on 
our  walk  the  boys,  led  by  Nucky,  searched 
hopefully  in  caves,  coal-banks  and  rock-dens 
for  gorgons,  minotaurs  and  dragons,  finding 
nothing  worse,  however,  than  a  few  rattle- 
snakes and  copperheads, — a  tame  substitute 


MORE  TRADING  89 

and  an  old  story.  But  the  value  of  drawing 
their  minds  to  foes  in  the  abstract  is  already- 
apparent, — they  fight  less,  and  traits  other  than 
martial  are  coming  to  the  front.  Nucky  has 
been  giving  his  energies  to  learning,  with  results 
that  astonish.  His  teacher  says  she  has  never 
seen  such  mental  alertness.  She  has  already 
put  him  up  two  grades,  and  says  if  he  keeps  on 
he  may  go  up  another  this  half-term.  Iry,  too, 
is  proving  his  right  to  his  title  of  "pure  scholar." 

To-night  when  we  began  again  on  the  Wonder 
Book,  Nucky  said,  "I  can  tell  you  a  story  that 
beats  them, — all  about  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Christian,  that  fit  with  devils,  and  come  near 
being  et  up  by  a%  giant  ten  times  as  big  as 
him.,, 

There  were  loud  cries  of,  "Tell  it,  Trojan!"; 
and  he  launched  forth  into  a  most  graphic  ver- 
sion of  Pilgrim's  Progress,  the  other  boys  listen- 
ing absorbed  throughout  the  evening.  When 
all  started  off  to  bed,  I  called  Nucky  back. 


9o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Where  did  you  learn  that  story?  "  I  asked  him. 

"I  have  knowed  it  sence  allus-ago,"  he  said; 
"  Maw  she  used  to  read  it  to  me  out  of  a  book 
with  pictures." 

It  is  the  first  time  he  has  spoken  of  his 
mother, — I  hear  from  the  other  boys  that  he 
lost  her  quite  recently. 

"Then  your  mother  had  learning?"  I  in- 
quired. 

"  She  never  got  any  inside  a  school-house,"  he 
replied;  "but  her  great-grandpaw  he  had  a  sight 
of  learning,  and  when  he  was  a'  old  man,  too 
feeble  to  do  anything  but  set  by  the  fire,  he 
teached  her  how  to  read  and  write  and  figger, 
and  was  so  proud  of  her  being  a  scholar  that 
when  he  come  to  die  he  left  her  what  books  he 
had,— there  is  several,  all  yallow  and  crumbly. 
One  is  a  Bible;  but  the  one  I  like  is  this-here 
about  Christian  and  the  devils.  I  used  to  lay 
and  look  at  it  by  the  hour,  and  learnt  to  read 
a-trying  on  it." 


MORE  TRADING  91 

This  is  most  interesting  as  being  another  proof 
that  the  early  settlers  of  this  country  were  men 
of  an  education  impossible  to  their  descendants. 
It  also  helps  to  account  for  Nucky's  remarkable 
mentality.  He  grasps  a  thing  almost  before  it 
is  spoken,  has  only  to  read  over  his  lessons  once, 
and  remembers  the  stories  I  tell  and  read  with 
surprising  minuteness. 

Wednesday. 

I  suppose  I  might  have  expected  some  ill 
effects  from  the  hero-tales.  When  I  went  down 
to  inspect  the  stable-lot  this  morning,  I  found 
three  barn  cats  writhing  in  their  death  agonies, 
and  Jason  galloping  off  on  a  stick-horse,  brand- 
ishing a  ghinny-bat.  His  explanation  that  he 
was  Bellerophon,  the  stick  Pegasus,  and  the  cats 
the  three  heads  of  the  Chimaera  failed  to  mollify 
me.  I  gave  him  his  first  taste  of  "  the  rod,"  and 
did  not  "spar'"  it.  Evidently  the  child  has  a 
poetic  imagination,  which  must  not  be  permitted 
to  run  riot. 


ABOUT  MOTHERS 

Saturday  Night. 

The  little  Salyers,  while  really  fond  of  one 
another,  have  queer  ways  sometimes  of  showing 
it.  This  afternoon  Keats  called  up  wearily  from 
the  back  yard,  where  for  eight  hours  he  had  been 
carrying  water  and  keeping  up  fires  for  the  wash- 
girls,  to  Hen  in  the  doorway,  "What  time  is  it, 
son?"  to  receive  the  affectionate  reply,  "Time 
all  dogs  was  dead, — haint  you  sick?  " 

To-night,  sitting   around   our   lamp,   eating 

peppermint  candy,  the  boys  got  to  talking  about 

their  mothers,  living  or  dead, — Keats  and  Hen 

of  course  about  Nervesty,  Taulbee,  Killis  and 

Hosea   about   their   good   mothers   at   home, 

Geordie  and  Absalom  about  theirs  who  is  mar- 
92 


ABOUT  MOTHERS  93 

ried  again  and  lives  in  Virginia,  and  Philip,  Joab, 
Iry  and  Jason  about  theirs  who  are  dead. 
Nucky  alone  did  not  talk, — it  seems  impossible 
for  him  to  speak  of  his  mother. 

Iry  told  many  little  incidents  his  remarkable 
memory  enables  him  to  recall,  though  his 
mother  died  when  he  was  only  three.  One  is, 
standing  beside  her  while  she  fed  him  beans  and 
sorghum  from  a  spoon;  another,  having  a  small 
paddle  and  helping  her  "battle"  the  clothes  as 
she  washed  them  beside  the  branch;  still  an- 
other, being  left  by  her  in  a  pen  made  of  rails 
and  a  log  high  up  on  the  mountainside  where  she 
was  hoeing  corn,  seeing  a  beautiful,  shining, 
spotted  thing  come  out  on  the  log  to  sun  itself, 
and  amusing  himself  poking  his  finger  at  the 
pretty  creature  to  make  it  lick  out  its  tongue, 
rattle  its  tail,  and  "quile"  itself  up,  till  suddenly 
something  fell  on  the  bright  head,  and  his 
mother,  with  a  terrible  scream,  threw  down  her 
hoe  and  caught  him  to  her  bosom.    These  and 


94  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

other  scraps  of  recollection  the  "pure  scholar" 
treasures  so  tenderly  it  seems  hard  indeed  that 
his  mother  should  have  taken  the  "breast- 
complaint, — some  calls  it  the  galloping  con- 
sumptV'  and  died  so  young,  missing  his  love. 

"  You  know,"  I  said  to  him,  "that  being  dead 
isn't  really  being  dead,  but  just  gone  out  of 
sight.  Your  dear  mother  still  lives  and  loves 
and  watches  over  you  constantly,  though  you 
cannot  see  her." 

"I  alius  heared  dead  folks  was  just  h'ants, 
trying  to  layway  and  scare  folks,"  said  Iry. 

"Nothing  of  the  kind,"  I  assured  him;  "they 
can  never  be  seen  by  these  eyes  of  ours,  but  they 
are  near,  quite  near  us  always,  to  love  and  pro- 
tect us,  especially  mothers  their  orphan  chil- 
dren." 

There  was  a  long  silence.  Then,  with  a  sigh, 
little  Iry  exclaimed,  slowly,  "Dag  gone,  I  wisht 
somebody'd  a-told  me  that  before,— I  wouldn't 
a-been  so  lonesome!" 


ABOUT  MOTHERS  95 

Nucky,  who  had  not  spoken  a  word  during 
the  conversation,  got  up  and  hurried  from  the 
room.  At  bed-time,  Hen  slipped  into  my  door  to 
report,  "I  tracked  Trojan  to  the  hayloft,  and 
heared  him  a-laying  up  there  crying  fit  to  kill 
for  his  maw." 

Poor  child, — the  still  waters  run  deep! 

Sunday  Night. 

Nucky  asked  for  extra  work  during  his  play- 
time yesterday  in  order  to  make  some  money, 
and  for  three  hours  spaded  flower-beds,  receiving 
a  dime  in  pay,  and  making  a  mysterious  visit 
to  the  village  after  supper.  This  morning  when 
I  was  ready  for  church,  he  came  into  my  room 
with  a  yard  of  bright  pink  ribbon  dangling  from 
his  hand.    This  he  held  out  to  me,  saying, 

"You  alius  go  about  with  them  old  black 
strings  on,  and  haint  got  no  pretty  fixings  like 
t'other  women, — I  allow  you're  too  poor  to  buy 
'em.    I  want  you  to  have  something  pretty." 

For  seven  years  I  have  not  had  on  a  color, — I 


96  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

never  supposed  I  could  wear  one  again.  But  I 
slowly  unfastened  the  black  ribbon  from  my 
collar,  and  replaced  it  with  the  pink.  Then  I 
put  my  arms  around  Nucky,  and  kissed  him. 

"I  was  poor, — horribly  poor,  Nucky,"  I  said, 
"before  I  got  you  and  the  other  boys.  But  I 
shall  never  feel  poor  again,  after  receiving  such 
a  precious  gift  as  this!" 

Precious  indeed  it  is,  not  only  as  representing 
untold  sacrifice  on  his  part,  but  as  showing  that 
he  really  cares  for  me, — he  is  so  reserved  and 
self-contained  I  did  not  dream  he  did. 

One  thing  is  certain, — I  will  try  to  deserve 
his  sacrifice  and  love, — to-morrow  I  will  send 
away  not  only  for  bright  ribbons,  but  for  cheer- 
ful dresses  which  shall  please  his  eyes  and  those 
of  the  others.  No  longer  shall  they  see  me  in 
garments  of  heaviness. 

Tuesday. 

This  noon,  Iry,  who  since  our  first  talk  about 
swearing,  has  been  trying  without  much  success 


ABOUT  MOTHERS  97 

to  stop  it — sometimes  he  bites  off  the  tail  of  a 
swear-word,  but  generally  the  head  and  trunk 
escape  him — ran  into  my  room  with  big  eyes. 
"  Geordie  and  me  was  a-quarling  over  a  shinny- 
bat  he  traded  me  out  of,  and  I  started  to  say  a' 
awful  cuss-word  at  him,  and  then  I  ricollected 
what  you  said  about  my  maw  a- watching  me  all 
the  time,  and  I  never  said  a  thing  to  him  but 
'Dad  burn  your  ole  soul!'" 

I  congratulated  the  "pure  scholar"  on  his 
great  victory,  and  encouraged  him  to  press  on. 

Wednesday ,  Bed-time. 

To-day  was  Mother's  birthday.  While  I  was 
placing  a  bowl  of  asters  before  her  picture  over 
my  fireboard,  Nucky  came  in,  and  I  spoke  to 
him  about  her,  telling  him  how  her  love  and 
courage  had  sustained  me  through  deepest  sor- 
row, and  how  terribly  I  miss  her  now.  After  a 
while  he  said,  in  a  low  voice,  "I  miss  my  maw, 
too." 

"Tell  me  about  her,"  I  said. 


98  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Then,  little  by  little,  and  often  with  great 
difficulty,  and  with  long  silences,  he  told  me  the 
story  of  his  mother;  how  devoted  she  had  been 
to  her  children,  and  how  eager  that  they,  and 
especially  he,  should  get  learning,  teaching  him 
what  she  could,  getting  a  little  district  school 
established  on  Trigger  three  years  ago,  and  com- 
ing over  herself  to  this  school  last  April  to  try 
and  get  him  in  here,  being  nag-flung  on  her  way 
home,  and  sustaining  injuries  which  caused  her 
to  die  a  month  later  when  her  last  baby  was 
born;  how  on  her  deathbed  she  had  called  her 
family  around  her,  and  given  them  her  love  and 
blessing  and  advice,  asking  her  husband  never 
to  put  a  "step-maw"  over  her  children,  and 
leaving  them  all  in  Blanks  charge,  confiding  to 
his  special  care  the  day-old  baby,  "your  paw 
being  too  puny  to  set  up  with  it  of  nights,"  and 
passing  away  at  last  clinging  to  them  and  weep- 
ing bitter  tears  that  she  must  leave  them.  He 
also  told  how  Blant  had  accepted  his  sacred 


ABOUT  MOTHERS  99 

trust;  tenderly  and  tirelessly  minding  the 
younger  children,  cooking  and  cleaning;  when 
not  out  tending  the  crop,  clearing  new-ground, 
logging  and  the  like,  and  how,  above  all,  he  has 
devoted  himself  to  "the  babe,"  patiently  walk- 
ing the  floor  with  it  at  night,  warming  its  bottle, 
jolting  it  on  his  knee,  toasting  its  little  feet  be- 
fore the  fire,  sleeping  with  it  on  his  arm,  and 
"making  it  sugar-teats  and  soot-tea  as  good  as 
a  woman."  This  being  the  same  Blant  who 
"never  goes  out  without  a  gun,"  and  has  done 
such  notable  slaughter  in  the  hereditary  "war" 
with  the  Cheevers! 

I  own  to  a  large  curiosity  to  behold  this  hero — 
more  than  ever  since  I  heard  what  Nucky  told 
me  to-day.  I  am  glad  that  the  visit  to  Trigger 
comes  the  end  of  this  week. 


XI 
OVER  ON  TRIGGER 

Monday  Morning. 
Soon  after  breakfast  on  Saturday  we  set  out 
on  our  sixteen-mile  ride  to  Trigger  Branch,  I  on 
Mandy,  Nucky  walking, — he  refused  to  ride 
behind,  remarking,  "I'm  alius  used  to  seeing 
the  women  ride  there. "  The  day  was  glorious, 
the  way  more  and  more  beautiful  as  we  pro- 
ceeded. We  crossed  three  mountains,  stopping 
on  the  top  of  one,  where  the  sunlight  sifted  down 
through  translucent  beech  leaves,  to  eat  our 
lunch,  and  then  "  followed "  Powderhorn,  a 
large  creek,  two  or  three  miles,  finally  turning 
up  Trigger  Branch.  At  its  mouth,  Nucky 
pointed  out  the  little  log  school-house  in  which 
he  has  received  his  education  up  to  this  term, 
and  farther  on  he  showed  me  various  rocks  and 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  101 

trees  where  he  has  delighted  to  "layway"  and 
"ambush"  infant  Cheevers.  Trigger  Branch  is 
the  most  picturesque  creek  I  have  yet  seen; 
along  its  sides  cliffs  and  "rock-houses"  alternate 
with  rich  hollows,  small  strips  of  bottom,  and 
steep  but  flourishing  cornfields.  All  the  houses 
we  passed  on  the  lower  reaches  belonged  to 
Cheevers,  sons  of  Israel,  and  last  of  all  was 
Israel's  home.  Three  "  sights, "  or  about  a  half- 
mile  above  this,  is  the  disputed  boundary-line, 
which  runs  down  from  a  mountain  spur  on  the 
right  hand  side,  and  then  across  a  piece  of  bot- 
tom to  the  branch.  The  bone  of  contention  is  a 
triangular  slice  of  bottom,  with  its  apex  at  the 
foot  of  the  spur,  not  an  acre  in  extent,  all  told. 
As  Nucky  pointed  it  out  to  me,  I  looked  with 
mingled  curiosity  and  horror.  The  fence  of 
course  now  stands  on  the  ancient  line  claimed 
by  the  Marrses,  where  it  has  stood  for  nearly 
a  century  and  a  quarter. 
"It  is  impossible  to  believe  that  more  than  a 


102  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

dozen  lives  have  been  sacrificed  for  this  little 
piece  of  land,"  I  said  to  Nucky,  "why,  I  doubt 
if  you  could  raise  forty  bushels  of  corn  a  year 
on  it." 

His  face  flushed.  "It  haint  the  money's 
worth,"  he  said,  proudly;  "we  don't  care  noth- 
ing about  that.  But  it  was  granted  to  my 
great-great-great-grandpaw  for  fighting  the  Brit- 
ish, and  me'n'  Blant  would  ruther  die  than  part 
with  a'  inch  of  it." 

He  pointed  to  a  thick,  dark  clump  of  hemlock 
near  the  foot  of  the  spur,  on  the  Marrs  land. 
"That's  where  I  keep  lookout  of  moonlight 
nights  when  war  is  on,"  he  said. 

As  we  advanced,  he  showed  me  the  steep 
cornfields  tended  by  Blant  and  himself,  the  al- 
most upright  pastures  where  some  cattle  and 
sheep  were  feeding,  and  above,  the  virgin  for- 
est where  Blant  gets  out  yellow  poplar  and 
other  fine  timber,  and  on  the  very  crest  of  the 
ridge,  the  gray,  forbidding  "high  rocks"  that 


MAMf  LtJt* 


"That's  where  I  keep  lookout  of  moonlight  nights  when 
war  is  on.'" 
103 


104  MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 

are  so  fine  for  fox-hunts,  and  also,  he  says,  for 
"hiding  out"  in  if  officers  get  too  troublesome. 
"Blant  he  has  a  whole  passel  of  warrants 
hanging  over  him, "  he  said,  "  and  the  sheriff 
and  deputies  they  used  to  come  over  every  now 
and  then  last  winter  a-hunting  him.  Of  course 
he  couldn't  afford  to  give  hisself  up,  or  put  in  no 
time  in  jail,  when  he  was  so  bad  needed  at  home; 
and  at  first  he  would  take  to  the  rocks  when  he 
seed  'em  a-coming.  But  that  was  a  heap  of 
trouble,  and  he  got  mighty  tired  of  ft,  and  so 
next  time  they  rid  up  he  tuck  his  pistol  and 
stepped  out  and  told  'em  that,  bad  as  he  hated 
to  do  it,  circumstances  was  such  that  he  would 
have  to  fire  on  'em  if  they  kep'  bothering 
around;  that  he  had  the  living  to  make  for  the 
family,  and  no  time  to  spend  setting  around 
enjoying  hisself  in  jail, — that  with  him  duty 
come  before  pleasure,  and  he  would  have  to 
request  'em  to  leave  him  alone.  And  seeing  how 
he  felt  about  it,  they  never  come  again  for  quite 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  105 

a  spell, — not  till  after  he  kilt  Elhannon  in  April. 
Then  they  kotch  him  purely  by  accident,  but  he 
got  away  from  'em  that  night, — I'll  tell  you 
about  it  sometime." 

We  were  now  approaching  the  Marrs  house,  a 
large,  substantial  one  of  logs,  built  on  the  time- 
honored  pattern  of  "  two  pens  and  a  passage," — 
that  is,  two  huge  rooms,  with  an  open  hallway, 
below,  and  a  great  "loft",  large  enough  for  six 
ordinary  rooms,  above.  "  Cap'n  Enoch  Marrs 
raised  it,  more'n  a  hundred  year'  gone,"  said 
Nucky. 

Entering  the  open  passage,  which  was  hung 
with  saddles,  bridles  and  gearing  of  all  sorts,  and 
also  with  strings  of  beans  and  peppers,  we 
passed  into  one  of  the  lower  rooms.  Mr.  Marrs 
arose,  coughing,  from  one  of  the  three  large 
beds,  upon  which  he  had  been  resting,  and 
welcomed  me  most  kindly.  In  front  of  the  great 
fireplace,  four  young  children  were  gathered, 
and  the  eldest  of  these,  a  little  woman  of  eight, 


106  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

held  in  her  arms  an  infant,  upon  whom  I  looked 
with  special  interest.  This,  then,  was  "the 
babe,"— a  beautiful,  tiny  girl-child  of  five 
months,  with  large  gray  eyes  in  a  small  white 
face,  and  the  brightest  of  little  smiles. 

The  room  was  bare  save  for  the  beds,  some 
chairs,  and  a  great  homemade  chest  of  drawers. 
On  the  fireboard  were  a  clock  and  a  few  books, 
yellow  and  crumbly,  as  Nucky  had  said,  and 
above,  across  wooden  pegs  set  in  the  wall, 
rested  a  long,  old-fashioned  rifle,  with  a  powder- 
horn  slung  on  one  end. 

"This  here's  the  gun  Cap'n  Enoch  Marrs  fit 
the  British  with,"  said  Nucky,  with  bursting 
pride;  "it's  mine  now, — paw  give  it  to  me  on 
account  of  my  name." 

Half  an  hour  later,  the  hero,  Blant,  came  in 
from  "saving"  fodder.  I  gazed  at  him  with  all 
my  might.  He  is  a  tall  young  man,  with  Nucky's 
fine  gray  eyes  and  dark  hair,  an  open  face  and  a 
resolute  jaw.    After  greeting  me  in  the  gentlest 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  107 

of  voices,  he  picked  up  the  babe,  who,  cling, 
ing  to  him  with  cries  and  coos  of  joy,  buried 
her  little  face  in  his  bosom.  He  then  went  on 
with  her  across  the  passage  and  into  the  other 
large  room,  whither  Nucky  followed  him,  and 
the  two  began  preparations  for  supper.  Several 
times  I  saw  Blant  pass  the  open  door,  always 
with  the  babe  on  his  left  arm,  and  once  with  a 
bowl  of  cornmeal,  once  a  stack  of  roasting-ears, 
once  a  skillet  of  meat,  in  the  other.  As  I  looked, 
I  said  to  myself  over  and  over,  "Is  it  possible 
this  is  a  slayer  of  men,  an  eluder  and  defier  of 
the  law?" 

It  also  occurred  to  me  for  the  first  time  that  I 
was  adding  to  his  already  heavy  burdens;  and  I 
reproached  myself  for  coming;  but  there  was  no 
help  for  it  now. 

Supper  at  last  being  ready,  Mr.  Marrs,  lean- 
ing feebly  on  his  crutch,  conducted  me  into 
"t'other  house,"  the  children  took  their  stands 
and  we  our  seats  about  the  table,  and  Blant, 


As  I  looked,  I  said  to  myself  over  and  over,  'Is  it  possi- 
ble this  is  the  slayer  of  men,  an  eluder  and  defier  of 
the  law?"' 

xo8 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  109 

still  with  the  babe  on  his  arm,  did  the  honors, 
pouring  the  coffee,  and  then  impartially  sharing 
with  the  babe  the  beans,  fat  meat,  roasting-ears 
and  sweet-potatoes  on  his  plate.  While  of 
course  the  house  in  many  ways  shows  the 
absence  of  woman's  care,  Blant's  rilling  of  his 
mother's  place  is  indeed  remarkable. 

Later,  my  offer  of  help  in  the  dish-washing 
being  kindly  but  firmly  refused,  I  returned  to 
the  first  room  with  Mr.  Marrs  and  the  children, 
and  we  sat  and  talked.  Of  course  I  made  no 
reference  to  the  family  "war,"  but  I  did  inquire 
as  much  as  possible  in  regard  to  ancient  family 
history,  and  was  shown  the  old  Bible,  the 
records  of  which  go  back  to  Captain  Enoch 
Marrs,  the  first  settler  here.  Mr.  Marrs,  how- 
ever, told  me  that  there  are  traditions  that 
before  the  Marrses  came  to  America,  they  were 
brave  and  gentle  folk  for  five  hundred  years  in 
Old  England,  and  poured  out  their  blood  like 
water  for  the  glory  of  their  country.    "I  allow 


no  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

from  what  I  have  heared  that  we  have  always 
been  a  fighting  race,"  he  said.  "My  great- 
grandpaw  used  to  set  up  and  tell  big  tales,  which 
he  got  from  his  paw,  how  first  one  and  then 
t'other  of  us  fit  for  his  king  in  ancient  days,  and 
won  glory  and  renown, — I  mind  there  was  a 
famous  admiral  under  Good  Queen  Bess,  and 
before  him  a  .general  that  licked  out  the  French 
nation — but  I  haint  able  to  ricollect  names  and 
circumstances,  having  been  too  young  and  un- 
knowing when  I  heared  them  tales  to  take 
proper  interest,  which  I  regret  now." 

I  shared  his  regret, — with  so  many  good  and 
aristocratic  English  names  in  this  mountain 
country,  I  have  been  quite  sure  that  some  of 
them  harked  back  to  a  brave  and  honorable 
past,  and  it  would  be  especially  pleasing  to  me  to 
trace  Nucky's  line  to  its  old  English  home,  and 
through  its  brave  deeds  for  king  and  country. 

While  we  talked,  Blant  returned,  with  the 
babe  and  Nucky,  and  a  little  later,  Blant's 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  in 

bosom  friend,  Richard  Tarrant,  came  in  from 
across  the  mountain.  He  is  a  strikingly  attrac- 
tive young  man.  Before  he  had  stayed  long,  he 
said, 

"I  have  got  bad  news  for  you,  Blant, — it  is 
being  talked  that  Todd  and  Dalt  Cheever  has 
got  powerful  homesick  out  west,  and  is  aiming 
to  come  back  before  long.  I  hope  it  haint  so, — 
I  had  looked  forward  to  a  right  smart  spell  of 
peace  for  you, — God  knows  you  have  got  your 
hands  full,  without  no  further  warfare." 

"I  think  Todd  and  Dalt  will  be  satisfied  to 
stay  away  a  while  yet,"  replied  Blant,  quietly; 
"  I  allow  this  is  just  one  of  Israel's  lies." 

"Well,  I  hope  so,"  said  Rich;  "but  fore- 
warned is  forearmed,  and  I  thought  you  ought 
to  know  the  talk." 

" 1  want  to  know  about  it  quick  as  they  come," 
spoke  up  Nucky,  hastily;  "you  can't  no  way  get 
along  without  me  to  keep  lookout." 

Blant  turned  sternly  upon  him.    "No  matter 


H2  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

what  the  news  is,  son,"  he  admonished,  "you 
stay  right  there  where  you  air,  and  don't  dare  to 
leave  and  come  home.  You  know  maw's  de- 
sires in  regards  to  your  getting  Parning.  I  prom- 
ised her  I'd  carry  'em  out,  and  now  I  aim  to  do 
it.  You  stay  over  there,  or  you'll  have  me  to 
reckon  with.  I  got  Rich  here  to  help  me  if  need 
be,  and  likewise  Uncle  Billy's  boys, — what  I 
haint  able  to  tend  to  myself." 

Nucky's  face  flushed  angrily;  but  he  said  no 
more. 

When  bed-time  came,  the  family  slept  down- 
stairs— besides  the  three  beds  in  one  room, 
there  was  another  in  the  kitchen — and  I  was 
shown  up  to  a  comfortable  feather-bed  in  the 
great  loft.  Long  after  everybody  else  was 
asleep,  I  heard  the  poor  little  babe  wailing 
pitiably  below,  and  Blant  softly  walking  the 
floor  with  it,  jolting  it  back  and  forth  in  his 
chair,  and  trotting  it  on  his  knees  before  the 
fire.     No  wonder  the  little  creature  suffered 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  113 

agonies  after  eating  the  things  it  got  for  sup- 
per. 

After  breakfast  in  the  morning,  Nucky  in- 
vited me  to  go  for  a  walk.  We  ascended  one  of 
the  spurs  of  the  mountain  in  the  rear  of  the 
house, — never  have  I  seen  a  more  beautiful  site 
for  a  home  than  in  that  hollow — and  a  third  of 
the  way  up,  on  a  small  "bench,"  came  upon 
what  appeared  to  be  a  play- village.  Beneath 
spreading  trees,  were  a  dozen  or  more  diminu- 
tive houses,  with  latticed  sides  and  roofs  of 
riven  oak  boards.  Some  were  crumbling  into 
decay,  some  new  and  substantial.  The  one  to 
which  Nucky  led  me  was  still  yellow.  "Here's 
where  Maw  lays,"  he  said,  almost  in  a  whisper 
(I  judge  that  one  reason  he  finds  it  so  hard  to 
speak  of  her  is  his  feeling  that  he,  or  rather,  her 
desire  for  his  education,  was  in  a  way  the  cause 
of  her  death),  and  I  knew  that  this  must  be  the 
family  burying-ground,  and  these  the  grave- 
houses  once  so  necessary  for  the  protection  of 


H4  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  dead  from  wild  beasts,  and  still  surviving 
here  in  the  customs  of  the  mountain  country. 

Near  the  grave-house  of  his  mother  were 
three  smaller  ones,  still  good  and  new.  "Our 
three  young  uns  betwixt  Blant  and  me  died  of 
typhoid  one  summer,  about  five  year'  gone," 
Nucky  explained.  China-asters  were  blossom- 
ing gaily  among  the  weeds  about  these  grave- 
houses.  "Maw  she  sot  'em  there,"  Nucky 
said,  "she  liked  to  come  here  and  rest  a  spell 
when  she  was  hoeing  corn,  and  set  with  these 
young  uns." 

The  tragedy  of  the  life  of  Nucky's  mother 
was  brought  forcibly  before  me  as  I  stood  there. 
An  eager-minded,  loving-hearted  woman,  shut 
off  from  all  opportunity,  the  bringer  of  ten  new 
lives  into  the  world,  laboring  and  drudging  as 
only  these  mountain  women  know  how  to  for 
the  sustenance  and  clothing  of  her  family, 
suffering  constant  anxiety  as  to  the  very  lives  of 
her  loved  ones  by  reason  of  the  family  "war," 


OVER  ON  TRIGGER  115 

and  finally  having  to  go  out  into  the  darkness  of 
death  and  bid  them  all  farewell, — surely  it  is  a 
sad  and  tragic  history. 

As  we  turned  away,  Nucky  added,  "With 
them  three  young  uns  around  her,  I  allow  she 
haint  so  lonesome  as  she  would  be  all  by  her- 
self." 

"No,"  I  said,  "having  her  loved  ones  with 
her,  she  is  happier  far,  even  in  heaven.  For  it  is 
that  which  makes  heaven." 

Blant  had  dinner  for  us  at  eleven,  and  soon 
afterward  we  were  ready  to  depart.  "Come 
over  and  see  us  sometime  at  the  school,"  I  called 
to  Blant,  as  he  stood  with  the  babe  on  his  arm 
by  the  gate.  He  thanked  me  gravely,  but  did 
not  say  he  would  come. 

"Gee,"  said  Nucky,  as  we  rode  on,  "he  can't 
never  do  that, — why  they'd  just  have  to  arrest 
him  if  he  run  into  the  jaws  of  the  sheriff  and 
the  jail  that  way!" 

We  made  the  last  hour  or  two  of  our  journey 


n6  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

through  moonlight  in  which  the  mist-hung 
mountains  and  shadowed  valleys  lay  entranc- 
ingly  lovely. 

"This  is  the  kind  of  nights  I  alius  keep  watch 
for  the  Cheevers,,,  said  Nucky. 

I  wondered  if  these  were  the  sole  thoughts 
aroused  in  him  by  the  wondrous  beauty  in 
which  he  had  been  born  and  bred.  Presently  I 
knew. 

"If  maw  is  in  heaven,  like  you  say,  do  you 
allow  the  country  round  about  there  is  any 
prettier  than  this  here?"  he  asked. 

"No,  I  am  sure  not,"  I  replied,  emphatically. 


XII 
THE  FIGHTINGEST  BOY 

Tuesday  Night. 

Nucky  ran  in  to-night  from  shinny,  to  have  a 
" broke' '  ankle  tied  up,  (it  seems  to  me  I  am 
always  tying  up  either  "risings,"  "biles,"  sores 
or  hurts)  and  said  to  me  while  I  did  it, 

"That  'ere  little  Jason  is  just  a-chawing  up 
and  spitting  out  them  little  day-schools.  This 
morning  at  recess  I  seed  him  whup  out  five-at-a- 
time.  Yes,  sir,  five  was  on  him,  and  by  Ned  if 
he  didn't  lay  out  the  last  one.  He's  the  fight- 
ingest  boy  you  got!" 

"I  thought  you  were  that,"  I  said. 

"  Dad  burn  ole  Heck  if  ever  I  seed  the  day  I 

could  lay  out  five  of  my  size  at  a  time!    Going 

to  school  there  on  Trigger,  I  have  whupped  out 

as  many  as  three  Cheever  young  uns  at  a  time; 
117 


u8  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

but  five!  Gee!  I  wisht  I  knowed  how  he  done 
it!" 

These  accounts  of  Jason's  prowess  seem 
unbelievable;  but  from  the  mouths  of  many 
witnesses  I  gather  that  they  must  be  true.  I, 
too,  wonder  how  he  does  it. 

Wednesday. 

Evidently  Jason's  success  with  the  little 
primaries  is  going  to  his  head,  for  to-day  he  at- 
tacked Hen  Salyer,  who  is  a  head  taller,  and 
would  have  vanquished  him  had  not  Keats  come 
to  the  rescue.  As  it  was,  he  gave  the  Salyers  a 
lively  battle,  and  enormously  increased  their 
respect  for  him.  My  most  vigorous  applications 
of  the  rod  appear  powerless  to  curb  this  aggres- 
siveness. 

Thursday. 

While  we  were  out  in  force  this  afternoon, 
digging  the  ditch  which  is  to  drain  our  garden, 
Nucky  spoke  up,  apropos  of  nothing, 

"T  I  had  a  boy  't  wouldn't  fight,  I'd  tie  him 


THE  FIGHTINGEST  BOY  119 

to  a  good  sapling  and  fill  him  so  full  of  bullets  the 
buzzards  wouldn't  eat  him!" 

Having  observed  anything  but  a  lack  of  the 
"fighting  edge"  since  my  arrival  on  Perilous,  I 
saw  no  point  in  this  remark,  and  let  it  pass. 
Nucky  spoke  again,  accusingly, 

"You  got  one,"  he  said;  "you  got  a  boy  't 
won't  fight!" 

"I?"  I  demanded  in  amazement. 

"Iry  Atkins  yander.  Little  Jason  Wyatt's 
been  a-picking  on  him  for  three  days,  and  he's 
af eared  to  fight  him  back,  by  Ned!" 

"You're  a  liar,  Trojan!"  spoke  up  the  "pure 
scholar,"  hotly;  "I  haint  fit  him  because  I'm 
a-minding  her.  She  said  for  us  not  to  fight  him 
because  he  were  so  little.  I  can  fight  as  good  as 
you,  dag  gone  you!" 

"Le's  see  you  then,  dad  swinge  you!" 

Iry  rushed  upon  Nucky  with  murder  in  his 
eye,  and  it  took  Taulbee  and  me,  aided  by  a 
hoe-handle,  to  separate  them. 


120  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Iry's  conscientiousness  is  very  gratifying.  I 
wish  that  I  could  remove  the  interdict  made  at 
first  for  Jason's  protection;  but  probably  it  had 
better  remain  now  for  Iry's. 

Friday  Night. 

When  Jason  and  Keats  came  up  from  the 
wash-house  to-night  in  their  fresh  gowns,  looking 
startlingly  clean,  (I  let  them  bathe  together  be- 
cause Keats  is  so  kind-hearted,  and  carries  the 
water  from  kettles  to  tubs  for  Jason,  and  even 
washes  his  back  for  him)  I  handed  Keats  a  pair 
of  scissors.  "Do  you  mind  cutting  Jason's  toe- 
nails?" I  asked;  "I  notice  that  they  are  dread- 
fully long." 

To  my  utter  confounding,  Jason  threw  him- 
self on  the  floor,  kicking  and  beating  it  violently 
and  letting  out  terrific  yells. 

"Why,  it  won't  hurt  you,  dear,"  I  said,  "or, 
if  you  fear  Keats  will,  I  will  gladly  do  it  myself." 

The  howls  and  yells  increased  if  possible. 

"He   haint   afeared    of   being   hurt,"    said 


THE  FIGHTINGEST  BOY  121 

Keats;  "he  just  don't  aim  to  part  with  them 
toe-nails/ ' 

"Why?"  I  inquired. 

"  He  needs  'em  in  his  business.  He  fights  with 
'em.  I  found  it  out  when  him  and  Hen  fit  a- 
Tuesday.  He  tried  it  on  me,  the  feisty  little 
skunk!  That's  the  way  he  lays  out  the  day- 
schools  five-at-a-time.  He  jobs  out  the  eyes  of 
two  with  his  thumbs,  and  bites  and  butts  an- 
other, and  rakes  the  shins  of  two  more  with  his 
toe-nails,  and  whups  out  five  as  easy  as  falling 
off  a  log!" 

"They  certainly  must  come  off  then,"  I  de- 
clared sternly.  "You  hold  one  leg,  and  Killis 
one,  and  Philip  and  Taulbee  his  arms  and  head, 
and  I'll  cut  them  off!" 

And  thus  surprised  of  his  secret,  and  bound  by 
the  Philistines,  my  little  Samson  was  shorn. 

Saturday  Afternoon. 

Before  breakfast  I  called  Iry  into  my  room. 
"How  much  muscle  have  you  got?"  I  inquired. 


122  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

The  "pure  scholar "  bared  a  small,  skeleton 
arm,  on  which  a  creditable  knot  of  muscle  rose 
as  he  flexed  it. 

"You  are  really  a  pretty  good  fighter,  aren't 
you?"  I  asked. 

"  Paw  he'd  knock  me  in  the  head  if  I  weren't." 

"Very  well.  I  told  you  once  not  to  fight  Jason 
Wyatt.  I  may  have  been  wrong  in  doing  so. 
Next  time  he  picks  on  you,  fight  him  back." 

Just  before  noon,  Nucky  ran  into  the  cottage 
with  bulging  eyes.  "That  'ere  little  Iry  is 
a-giving  Jason  the  best  whupping  down  in  the 
stable-lot  ever  you  seed.  Jason  he  got  to  feisting 
around  him  ag'in,  and  he  just  grabbed  him  un- 
expected, and  laid  him  out,  and  now  he's  chok- 
ing the  life  out  of  him!" 

"Good!"  I  cried,  hurrying  back  to  see  the 
combat.  All  the  boys  were  miraculously  gath- 
ered, and  the  wash-girls  also  looked  on  with  de- 
light. Jason  tried  all  his  tricks,  but  could  not 
once  free  himself  from   the   relentless  grasp. 


That  'ere  little  Iry  is  a-giving  Jason  the  best  whupping 
down  in  the  stable-lot  ever  you  seed. '" 


«3 


124  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Both  arms  were  pinioned,  one  by  a  leg,  one  by 
an  arm  of  Iry's,  his  head  was  held  down  by  the 
dreadful  hand  at  his  throat;  only  his  legs  were 
free,  and  they  alas,  were  useless, — his  toes  passed 
harmlessly  over  Iry's  face  and  neck  and  ears! 

Not  until  he  had  held  out  to  the  verge  of  suf- 
focation did  the  conquered  conqueror  at  last 
gasp  for  mercy,  and  being  let  up,  crawl  off  under 
the  corncrib  to  sob  out  his  rage  and  shame  in 
peace. 

Doubtless  this  will  do  him  much  good. 


XIII 

AROUND  THE  FIRE 

Second  Monday,  October. 
Though  the  days  are  still  warm,  the  nights 
are  getting  cool,  and  for  the  sake  of  bare  toes 
we  began  last  night  having  a  fire  in  the  sitting- 
room.  It  was  the  one  thing  needed, — I  see  that 
with  its  glowing  warmth  to  gather  around,  our 
family  life  will  henceforth  be  much  more  in- 
timate and  cheerful.  Sydney  Lanier  says  that 
two  things  are  necessary  to  the  making  of  a  real 
home, — an  open  fire  and  music.  We  have  both. 
The  fire  had  hardly  begun  to  crackle  before 
Absalom  had  the  banjo  out,  and  was  singing  in 
the  chimney  corner, — not  bloody,  recent  song- 
ballads  this  time,  but,  to  my  joy,  famous  old 
English  ones  forgotten  centuries  ago  by  the  rest 
of  the  world  but  wonderfully  preserved  here  in 

125 


126  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  mountain  country.  "Barbara  Allen"  was 
one  ballad  he  sang;  "Turkish  Lady,"  "The 
Brown  Girl,"  and  "The  Specter  Ship"  were 
others.  All  the  tunes  were  queer,  minor,  and 
long-drawn-out,  and  sung  in  a  kind  of  falsetto; 
and  between  verses  there  is  a  very  weary  period 
of  picking. 

The  boys  all  declare  they  prefer  the  newer 
ballads,  such  as  "Blant's  Revengement,"  and 
"The  Doom  of  the  Mohuns,"  and  that  these  old 
ones  are  fit  only  for  women-folks;  but  I  noticed 
they  listened  absorbed. 

Friday. 

Yesterday  a  wagon  came  in  from  the  rail- 
road,— a  great  occasion  it  is  when  one  arrives, 
all  of  us  women  flocking  out  and  surrounding  it 
before  the  mules  can  stop,  and  receiving  the 
packages  and  boxes  destined  for  us  as  if  they 
were  the  most  precious  jewels, — indeed,  they  are 
valuable  after  coming  that  long  and  difficult 
\vay.   I  was  glad  to  find  that  my  cheerful  dresses 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  127 

ordered  last  month  had  arrived,  as  well  as  the 
wire  corn-poppers  and  some  rolls  of  wall-paper 
with  great  red  roses  for  our  sitting-room. 

Saturday  Night. 

Cleo  and  Howard  put  the  lovely  red  paper  on 
our  sitting-room  to-day, — when  the  boys  and  I 
came  in  from  the  garden  it  was  all  done,  and 
a  shout  of  delight  went  up.  Of  course  they  have 
never  seen  anything  so  beautiful. 

I  had  another  surprise  for  them.  Prettiest  of 
all  my  new  dresses  is  a  cardinal  cr£pe  de  chine, 
exactly  matching  the  wall-paper.  I  put  it  on  for 
supper  to-night,  getting  to  the  dining-room  a 
little  late.  There  was  much  excitement  at  our 
table  as  I  entered,  and  Jason  created  a  sensation 
by  calling  out,  in  his  shrill  voice,  "Oh,  yander 
comes  my  red  stick  of  candy! "  Nucky  said  not 
a  word;  but  the  pride  in  his  eyes  was  sufficient. 
All  during  the  meal,  the  boys  vied  with  one  an- 
other in  passing  me  things,  and  in  saying  "yes 
ma'am"  and  "no  ma'am";  and  I  saw  them 


128  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

glancing  around  at  other  tables  to  observe  the 
effect  of  my  grand  costume. 

Who,  seeing  me  sit  here  before  our  cottage 
fire  this  evening,  clothed  in  the  color  of  life  and 
joy,  with  my  happy  and  cheerful  family  close 
around,  would  ever  believe  me  to  be  the  same 
woman  who  arrived  here  something  more  than 
two  months  ago,  with  a  heart  even  more  dark 
and  desolate  than  her  garb  of  woe?  Truly,  the 
ways  and  goodness  of  God  are  past  imagining. 

Thursday  Night. 

That  the  fraternal  affection  of  the  little  Sal- 
vers is  sound  at  the  core  (much  evidence  to  the 
contrary  notwithstanding)  was  proved  beyond 
doubt  by  an  occurrence  last  night.  Hen  is  by 
nature  deliberate,  and  is  especially  so  about 
washing  his  feet  and  getting  undressed  at  night, 
not  yet  having  become  reconciled  in  his  mind 
to  either  process.  He  always  retires  after  Keats, 
and,  now  the  nights  are  cooler,  first  tries  to  root 
Keats  out  of  his  warm  place,  and,  failing  in  that, 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  129 

doubles  up  and  plants  his  cold  feet  in  the  middle 
of  Keats's  back.  The  long-suffering  Keats  re- 
bels, and  then  follow  howls,  yells  and  a  pitched 
battle,  with  shrill  cries  for  me  from  Geordie 
Yonts,  the  third  boy  in  the  bed.  When  I  arrive, 
the  covers  are  on  the  floor,  and  the  brothers 
fighting  all  over  their  own  bed,  the  other  bed 
and  boys,  and  the  entire  room,  and  calling  down 
horrible  imprecations  upon  each  other.  In  vain 
I  have  forbidden  the  use  of  the  shocking  lan- 
guage,— neither  threats  nor  punishments  have 
prevailed.  Last  night,  after  a  particularly  bad 
time,  I  called  them  into  my  room,  explained  to 
them  the  full  meaning  of  the  words  they  were 
using,  and  asked  if  either  could  possibly  hate  his 
brother  enough  to  wish  to  consign  him  to  eternal 
torment.  They  made  no  answer,  but  went  off 
looking  thoughtful.  To-night  when  shrieks  and 
howls  announced  the  usual  battle,  and  I  hurried 
to  the  scene,  the  Salyers  were  pounding  each 
other  as  mercilessly  as  ever,  but  this  time,  to 


i3o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

my  unspeakable  relief,  they  were  calling  out  fu- 
riously, "GodM/>you!"  "God  help  you!",— a 
decided  change  for  the  better,  and,  I  thought,  a 
most  timely  petition! 

In  their  sane  moments  now,  they  talk  of 
nothing  but  Cousin  Emmeline's  funeral  occasion 
and  the  visit  home,  and  it  is  impossible  for  them 
to  decide  whom  they  most  desire  to  see, — 
whether  Nervesty,  or  Sammy,  or  Ponto,  or  the 
steers  Buck  and  Brandy;  while  their  longing 
extends  also  to  the  other  children,  and  to 
Charlie  the  "flea-bit"  nag,  Ole  Suke,  the  "pied" 
cow,  Reddy  the  heifer,  and  the  black  sow, 
Julia. 

Sunday  Evening. 

On  our  way  to  the  "church-house"  this 
morning,  I  noticed  that  Iry  wore  the  long, 
ample  homespun  trousers  in  which  he  arrived. 
"Where  are  the  Sunday  breeches  I  gave  you?" 
I  inquired. 

"There    they    air,"    he    said,    pointing    to 


AROUND   THE  FIRE  131 

Geordie's  fat  legs,  which  seemed  about  to  burst 
out  of  a  pair  of  dark  blue  short  trousers. 

"Iry  he  just  pestered  me  into  trading  with 
him,"  was  Geordie's  explanation,  "he  said  he 
were  bound  to  have  that  gold  ring  I  got  out  of  a 
prize  box  last  week.     Show  it  to  her,  Iry." 

Iry  put  forth  a  small,  dingy  hand,  adorned 
with  a  large,  elaborate  brass  ring. 

"But  you  can  see  that  wasn't  a  fair  trade," 
I  said  indignantly  to  Geordie. 

"I  knowed  it  weren't, — I  knowed  that  ring 
were  worth  five  times  them  breeches,  and  I'd 
never  see  its  like  ag'in.  But  I  felt  sorry  for 
him,  he  wanted  it  so  bad." 

"No,  I  mean  just  the  other  way,"  I  said 
sharply,  "you  paid  a  nickel  for  that  prize-box, 
didn't  you?" 

"Yes'm." 

"And  there  was  candy  in  it?  " 

"A  little-grain." 

"And  you  ate  it?" 


i32  MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 

"What  there  were  of  it." 

"And  now  you  want  to  trade  him  the  ring, 
which  cannot  be  worth  more  than  two  cents,  for 
his  Sunday  breeches.,, 

The  "bora  trader"  looked  at  me  pityingly. 
"Miss  Loring,"  he  said,  "womenfolks  haint  got 
no  understanding  of  prize-boxes.  Sometimes 
you  pay  your  nickel  down  and  don't  git  ary 
thing  in  'em;  and  then  ag'in  there's  jewelries 
nobody  can't  tell  what  they  worth,  they  so  fine. 
Thaint  nary  ring  like  that  ever  been  seed  in  these 
parts.  Iry  Atkins's  got  the  onliest  ring  like  it  on 
Perilous,  or  I  reckon  in  Kent  County,  or  maybe 
in  Kentucky!    What's  breeches  to  that?" 

To  this  master  argument,  the  fact  that  the 
ring  would  not  keep  Iry's  legs  warm  in  winter 
seemed  a  puerile  answer;  still,  with  cold  weather 
coming  on,  and  clothing  scarce  as  hens'  teeth,  I 
was  compelled  to  break  up  the  trade,  and  to 
forbid  Geordie's  making  any  more. 

In  the  afternoon  we  went  up  Perilous,  per- 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  133 

simmon  and  buckeye  hunting,  and  later,  after 
filling  their  shirt-fronts  with  the  shiny  am- 
munition, the  boys  lined  up  on  opposite  sides 
of  the  creek  and  had  a  buckeye-battle. 

After  supper  I  began  reading  the  Story  of 
Odysseus.  When  we  came  to  the  place  where 
the  hero  makes  his  escape  from  the  cave  of 
Polyphemus,  Nucky  interrupted  to  tell  the  tale 
he  promised  while  we  were  on  Trigger,  of 
Blant's  escape  last  spring,  when  for  the  first  and 
only  time  he  was  arrested  by  officers.  It  was 
the  day  when  he  was  "laywayed"  by  Elhannon, 
Todd  and  Dalt,  and  had  killed  one,  and  almost 
killed  the  other  two.  The  sheriff  happened  to 
be  on  Powderhorn,  near  the  mouth  of  Trigger, 
at  the  time,  received  the  news  at  once,  and 
reached  the  Marrs  home  within  an  hour  after 
the  occurrence.  Blant,  not  dreaming  of  so 
prompt  an  attempt  at  arrest,  was  sitting  before 
the  fire  cleaning  his  forty-five;  and  before  he 
knew  it,  the  sheriff  stepped  between  him  and  his 


134  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

ammunition.  Quiet  surrender  was  the  only 
possible  thing.  The  sheriff  and  deputy  started 
with  him  to  the  jail  here  in  our  village;  but,  be- 
ing overtaken  by  darkness  on  the  way,  were 
obliged  to  stop  overnight  at  a  wayside  house. 
Blant  went  to  bed,  handcuffed,  between  the 
sheriff  and  deputy,  each  of  whom  retired  with 
a  loaded  revolver  in  his  hand.  In  the  morning 
the  prisoner  was  gone,  the  blanket  that  had 
covered  the  three  swung  from  the  window,  and 
the  two  revolvers  were  found  on  the  ground 
beneath,  placed  neatly  side  by  side. 

"Thaint  no  men  or  no  prison  nowhere  Blant 
couldn't  git  away  from  if  he  was  a  mind  to," 
said  Nucky;  "he  wouldn't  fool  around  and  see 
his  friends  et  up  like  Odysseus." 

The  character  of  Odysseus  also  brought  out 
some  family  history  from  Geordie  and  Absalom. 
It  appears  that  their  grandfather,  Old  George 
Yonts,  was  a  man  noted  in  several  ways,  as  a 
hard-shell  preacher,  as  a  wonderful  nag-trader, 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  135 

and,  like  Odysseus,  as  a  man  of  craft  and  guile 
in  wars.  Warring  factions  would  come  to  him 
for  advice;  and  his  stratagems,  when  carried  out, 
were  brilliantly  successful.  The  boys,  with 
much  pride,  told  some  awful  instances.  They 
also  said  that  all  of  his  thirteen  sons  were 
"mean  men,"  their  own  father  having  met 
death  at  too  early  an  age  to  become  as  dis- 
tinguished as  the  other  twelve.  As  I  listened,  I 
marvelled,  not  that  the  "  born  trader's"  moral- 
ity is  a  little  oblique,  but  that  he  has  any  at 

all. 

Wednesday. 

To-day  I  saw  Philip  hold  out  a  handful  of 
chestnuts  to  Taulbee,  his  bosom  friend,  with  the 
words,  "Don't  take  more'n  five, — you're  owing 
me  now.  You  haint  gone  treat  for  alius!" 
Perfect  candor  is  evidently  the  sure,  if  rocky, 
foundation  of  their  relationship. 

Saturday  Night. 
More  family  history  as  we  were  roasting 


136  MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 

sweet-potatoes  in  the  hot  ashes  under  our  fire 
to-night.  Iry  said  he  could  recollect  roasting 
them  while  the  men  made  his  maw's  coffin. 
"I  never  knowed  no  better,"  he  said;  "I  weren't 
but  three,  and  thought  she  was  laying  there 
asleep.  I  wondered  what  them  men  was 
a-hammering  at  outside.  When  I  seed  'em  take 
her  off  in  it,  I  knowed." 

"She  were  the  best  step-maw  ever  I  had," 
remarked  Joab,  feelingly. 

"How  many  have  you  had?"  I  inquired. 

"Oh,  paw  he's  had  about  five  women,"  he 
mused.  "My  maw  first,  and  then  Iry's,  and 
there's  three  sence.  Serildy  Byng,  his  next-to- 
last,  was  a  middling  civil  woman;  but  she  never 
stayed  long.  This  last  one  is  just  fifteen,  and 
haint  got  no  manners.  I  have  to  fight  her  most 
every  day,  she  picks  on  me'n  Iry  so.  Paw  he 
has  a  sorry  time  learning  her  to  behave." 

"I  have  heared  something  about  your  paw 
being  right  smart  of  a  mean  man,"  said  Philip. 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  137 

"Bet  he  can't  hold  a  candle  to  Blant,"  put  in 
Nucky,  jealously. 

"Maybe  he  can't,  and  maybe  he  can," 
drawled  Joab,  provokingly. 

"Nobody  haint  as  quick  on  the  trigger  as 
Blant,"  declared  Nucky;  "I'll  bet  nobody 
haint  kilt  and  wounded  more  inside  a  few 
months  than  him,  or  would  have  been  in  jail 
more  times  if  the  officers  could  have  kotch  him 
and  helt  him." 

"Jail,"  murmured  Joab,  contemptuously, 
"jail  haint  nothing!  My  paw's  spent  two  year 
at  Frankfort!" 

The  boys  all  exclaimed  in  admiration.  "  Gee- 
oh,"  said  Philip,  with  new  respect,  "I  never 
knowed  he'd  been  penitentiaried." 

"How  many  has  he  kilt?"  inquired  Nucky, 
skeptically. 

"Oh,  no  more'n  he  had  to,"  drawled  Joab. 

"I  heared  something  about  his  killing  off  a 
few  Lusks,"  said  Taulbee. 


138  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Yes,  a  few,"  admitted  Joab;  "Serildy  Byng, 
that  next-to-last  of  his,  she  got  to  talking  some 
to  a  couple  of  the  Lusks,  and  paw  got  wind  of  it, 
and  kotch  'em  a-hanging  around  one  day.  But 
he  never  kilt  but  one  dead;  and  soon  as  t'other 
got  able  to  talk,  he  sot  all  the  Lusks  ag'in  paw, — 
there  was  nine  on  his  track,  laywaying  and 
ambushing.  At  last  one  day  they  all  rid  up 
behind  him  over  on  the  head  of  Rakeshin.  He 
seed  a  turn  in  the  road  ahead,  where  there  was  a 
big  rock.  Every  time  they'd  shoot,  he'd  jump 
like  he  was  hit;  and  just  as  he  got  to  the  rock,  he 
spraddled  out  flat  on  his  nag,  like  he  was  dead. 
That  was  the  last  they  seed,  and  they  come  up 
a-whooping,  thinking  they  had  him  kilt.  And 
about  that  time  six  of  'em  got  bullets  in  'em, 
and  three  drapped  dead;  for  paw  had  clim  up 
on  the  rock  and  was  a-laying  for  'em.  Time 
the  rest  of  the  Lusks  got  up  from  their  wounds, 
they  allowed  paw  was  a  mean  enough  man  to 
leave  alone." 


AROUND  THE  FIRE  139 

Nucky  was  silenced.  The  impressive  pause 
that  followed  was  at  last  broken  by  Philip. 
"What  did  he  do  to  Serildy?"  he  asked. 

"Oh,  nothing,  but  shoot  off  a  piece  of  her 
jaw  and  a  little-grain  of  her  scalp." 

Philip  meditated  again.  "I  expect  that's  the 
reason  Serildy  left  your  paw,  haint  it?  Women's 
so  quare." 

"Maybe,"  replied  Joab,  indifferently. 

Oh,  my  perfect  gentleman! 

Thursday, 

Shinny  went  out  and  ball  came  in  yesterday. 
When  at  noon  the  boys  all  ran  to  me  begging 
for  yarn  (of  course  store  balls  are  an  unknown 
luxury)  and  when  later  I  saw  Philip,  Keats  and 
Hosea  ravelling  out  old  socks  they  said  they 
had  bought  from  Geordie,  Taulbee  engaged 
upon  a  piece  of  the  old  comforter  he  had  traded 
off  for  a  pop-gun,  and  now  bought  back  at  a 
ruinous  price,  and  heard  Killis  and  Joab  be- 
moaning the  fact  that  they  had  traded  mittens 


i4o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

and  socks  off  for  pop-guns,  and  telling  of  the 
vast  sums  Geordie  was  making  selling  these  and 
like  remains  to  the  "day-schools/'  I  realized 
that  even  as  far  back  as  pop-gun  time  the  fore- 
looker  was  dealing  in  ball  futures,  and  that  his 
transactions  then  were  not  even  as  magnani- 
mous as  I  had  supposed  them  to  be. 

Saturday  and  Sunday  are  the  longed-for 
days  of  Cousin  Emmeline's  funeral  occasion,  we 
are  to  start  to-morrow  (Friday)  afternoon,  and 
the  "two  homesicks"  are  beside  themselves 
with  joy. 


XIV 

THE  VISIT  HOME,  AND  THE  FUNERAL 
OCCASION 

Sunday  Night. 
Friday  noon  the  little  Salyers,  Jason  (whom 
I  did  not  dare  leave  behind)  and  I  were 
all  ready  to  start.  Nucky,  who  has  the  stable 
job,  had  just  brought  Mandy  around  in  the 
road  and  helped  me  into  the  saddle,  and  was 
handing  me  a  switch,  when  suddenly  I  saw  his 
fingers  stiffen,  his  eyes  widen,  his  face  pale. 
Looking  around  for  the  cause,  I  saw  two  young- 
ish men  riding  past  in  the  road.  Apparently 
they  did  not  see  him;  but  he  eyed  them  with 
concentrated  hatred.  I  hardly  needed  his  low- 
spoken  words,  "Todd  and  Dalt,"  to  tell  me  who 
they  were. 

"  I  got  to  go  home  quick  as  I  can  get  there," 
141 


l42  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

he  said,  when  they  had  passed  out  of  hear- 
ing. 

"You  shall  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  I  de- 
clared; "you  heard  Blant's  commands  on  the 
subject.  He  is  perfectly  able  to  take  care  of 
himself,  and  does  not  want  you.  I,  too,  com- 
mand you  to  stay  here." 

"But  he  haint  able  to  take  care  of  hisself 
now  he's  got  the  babe  on  his  hands,"  Nucky 
insisted;  "he  can't  noway  keep  lookout:  of 
course  they  have  come  back  to  kill  him  if  they 
can.    I  couldn't  rest  here  a  minute." 

"Nevertheless,  I  command  you  to  stay,"  I 
said  sternly,  as  I  took  my  departure. 

But  for  my  anxiety  about  him,  and  about  this 
new  threatening  of  "war"  on  Trigger,  my  visit 
to  the  little  Salvers'  home  would  have  been  a 
perfect  thing.  The  day  was  glorious  as  we  went, 
the  mountains  one  blaze  of  reds,  yellows  and 
greens.  All  the  way,  the  "two  homesicks" 
were  urging  Mandy  on  with  voice  or  hickory  or 


THE   VISIT  HOME  143 

both;  while,  entranced  with  the  beauty,  I 
earnestly  wished  that  she  might  be  permitted  to 
go  her  natural  gait. 

After  following  Perilous  four  miles,  we  turned 
up  Nancy's  Perilous,  and  went  along  it  nearly 
an  hour  before  we  reached  a  small  log  house, 
almost  hidden  in  apple  trees,  and  Mrs.  Salyer, 
with  the  four  little  children  and  Ponto  trailing 
before  and  after,  came  out  to  welcome  us.  Al- 
though tears  of  joy  stood  in  her  eyes,  she  did  not 
hug  or  kiss  or  "make  over"  her  boys, — such  dis- 
plays of  feeling  being  permissible  only  in  or  over 
babies.  Little  Sammy  availed  himself  of  his 
privilege  to  the  fullest  extent,  gurgling,  laughing 
and  shouting  at  sight  of  his  brothers,  while 
Ponto,  in  equal  exemption  from  the  bonds  of 
etiquette,  nearly  knocked  them  down  in  his  joy. 
The  two  pretty  little  girls  of  five  and  three,  being 
exhorted  to  "  shake  hands  with  the  woman,  Su- 
sanna and  Neely,"  did  so  most  politely;  and 
Hiram,  the  seven-year-old,  tore  his  gaze  from 


144  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Jason  (they  were  engaged  in  a  mutual  size-up) 
long  enough  to  go  through  the  same  ceremony. 

The  boys  made  at  once  for  the  apple  trees,  and 
I  was  invited  in.  Mrs.  Salyer  was  just  finishing 
her  day's  stint  of  weaving,  and  sat  in  the  loom 
and  threw  the  swift  shuttle  while  we  conversed. 
Seeing  her  for  the  first  time  without  the  black 
sunbonnet,  I  realized  where  the  boys  get  their 
extreme  beauty. 

I  asked  her,  of  course,  about  family  history, 
and  learned  that  her  ancestors,  too,  came  out 
from  Old  Virginia  more  than  a  century  ago,  and 
had  been  men  of  education  and  parts.  "The 
later  generations,"  she  said,  "haint  had  the 
ghost  of  a  chance,  shut  away  here  without  no 
Taming,  and  so  hard  put  to  it  to  keep  bread  in 
their  mouths  that  half  of  'em  never  hears  what's 
happening  yan  side  the  mountain.  It  don't  look 
like  it's  right  for  young  ones  to  grow  up  this 
way,  without  no  show  at  all.  I  am  determined 
mine  shall  get  one." 


THE  VISIT  HOME  145 

She  also  talked  a  good  deal  about  Mr.  Salyer, 
who  she  says  was  "as  pretty  a  man  as  the  wind 
ever  bio  wed  on,"  and  one  of  the  "workingest" 
in  this  section.  Evidently  she  feels  his  loss  very 
deeply;  but  she  faces  life  with  prodigious  cour- 
age, shouldering  his  burdens  in  addition  to  her 
own,  and  thinking  nothing  of  plowing,  grubbing, 
clearing,  and  like  heavy  work,  which  she  does 
cheerfully  rather  than  keep  her  boys  out  of 
school.  Her  faith  is  touching.  "  God  has  give 
me  this  fine  mess  of  young  ones,"  she  says; 
"now  I  look  to  Him  for  strength  to  feed  and 
raise  them." 

Several  times  our  conversation  was  inter- 
rupted by  shy  statements  from  the  little  girls 
that  Hiram  and  Jason  were  fighting  all  over  the 
yard;  but  no  bloodshed  being  as  yet  reported, 
little  attention  was  paid. 

When  the  time  came  for  active  preparations 
for  supper,  I  was  taken  out  by  the  boys  to  "  see 
things."    First,  the  nags,  Mandy  and  the  "flea- 


i46  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

bit"  Charlie,  were  watered  in  the  branch,  and 
fed;  then  the  steers  must  be  brought  down  and 
"nubbined."  They  were  grazing  far  up  in  a 
hollow,  but  at  a  word  Ponto  was  off,  and  soon 
brought  them  down,  starting  again  on  a  quest 
of  his  own.  Then  the  boys  put  yokes  on  them 
and  drove  them  around  the  steep  stable-lot  for 
my  pleasure.  Keats  said  he  and  Hen  had  to  tie 
their  tails  together  while  breaking  them,  to  keep 
them  from  turning  the  yokes;  but  now  they  go 
along  quietly,  as  well  conducted  steers  should, 
and  evidently  with  perfect  understanding  of  the 
strange  talk  of  their  young  masters,  which  was 
Greek  to  me.  I  could  comprehend  the  "Gee, 
Buck!",— "Git  along  there,  Brandy!";  but 
the  oft-repeated  "  Oo-cum-weh,  woo-oo!",  and 
"Now-wa-cto-tum!"  were  indeed  puzzling. 
Then  Ole  Suke,  the  pied  cow,  hearing  the  excite- 
ment, came  up,  or  rather,  down,  of  her  own 
accord,  followed  by  Reddy  the  heifer,  whose 
little  spotted  calf  welcomed  her  loudly  across  the 


THE  VISIT  HOME  147 

rails.  Nothing  would  do  but  Keats  must  milk 
Reddy  then  and  there,  to  demonstrate  the  re- 
markable deficiency  of  the  "blind  teat"  before- 
mentioned. 

Just  as  he  had  proved  this  to  everybody's 
satisfaction,  yelps  from  Ponto  could  be  heard 
approaching,  and  in  another  moment  a  large, 
raw-boned  black  sow  stepped  sedately  out  of  the 
woods  on  the  other  side  of  the  branch,  and  stood 
meditating.  An  instant  later,  she  was  sur- 
rounded by  a  company  of  half-grown  shoats, 
which  squealed  and  scurried  before  Ponto's  on- 
slaughts. But  evidently  Julia  herself  lived  in  a 
serene  atmosphere,  and  took  orders  from  no  one. 
After  scrutinizing  all  of  us,  and  assuring  herself 
that  the  boys  really  were  Keats  and  Hen,  she 
grunted  deeply  and  came  forward.  Not  until 
she  got  out  of  the  tall  weeds,  and  into  the  branch, 
was  the  joyful  discovery  made  that  nine  little 
new  pigs  followed  her  closely  and  shamefacedly. 
They  could  not  be  two  days  old, — of  course  they 


*<!a-W//. 


'  'Wt 


Not  until  she  got  out  of  the  tall  weeds,  and  into  the  branch, 
was  the  joyful  discovery  made  that  nine  little  new  pigs 
followed  her  closely  and  shamefacedly." 
148 


THE  VISIT  HOME  149 

had  come  purposely  to  celebrate  the  boys'  visit 
home, — no  one  could  doubt  that!  Great  was 
the  delight  that  followed,  great  the  pride  ex- 
pressed in  Julia  and  all  her  performances.  And 
what  a  good  bait  of  corn  Julia  and  the  shoats 
got,  while  the  babies  helped  themselves  to  their 
dinner,  all  but  the  poor  little  runt,  who  was 
crowded  entirely  out  of  reach  of  his  until  Hen 
spanked  two  of  the  others  and  made  a  place  for 
him! 

After  making  the  acquaintance  and  hearing 
the  family  history  of  various  chickens,  turkeys, 
guineas  and  geese,  I  was  taken  up  the  hollow  to 
the  famous  pawpaw  patch,  scene  of  innumerable 
'possum  hunts.  Here  even  Ponto  showed  lively 
memories  of  past  victories,  while  Keats,  Hen 
and  Hiram  all  talked  at  once,  describing  com- 
bats, and  pointing  out  the  very  trees  and  logs. 
Some  details  of  natural  history  I  was  able  to 
gather  from  the  confusion,  such  as:  possums 
alius  sull-up  when  they  are  kotch;  boar  possums 


i5o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

does  a  heap  of  fighting,  and  it's  a  sight  to  hear 
their  noses  crack  when  they  are  at  it,  and  the 
best  sport  ever  seed  is  to  ketch  two  and  sic  'em 
ag'in  each  other;  sow-possums  do  not  fight,  and 
the  young  uns  curl  their  tails  round  their  maw's 
and  ride  on  her  back  when  she  travels;  and, 
finally,  possums  are  a  master-race  for  wiles,  and 
it  is  the  mark  of  a  man  to  be  able  to  outwit  them. 

But  darkness  was  beginning  to  fall,  and  when 
the  gourd-horn  blew  for  supper,  nobody  tarried 
on  the  way  down.  Oh,  what  beans,  what 
"'taters,"  what  " roas ting-years,"  what  corn- 
bread,  and  above  all,  what  a  noble  vinegar-pie! 
Nervesty 's  reputation  was  fully  sustained, — dan- 
gerously so,  I  feared,  as  I  watched  the  boys  gorge. 

Then,  while  Mrs.  Salyer  and  Keats  went  out 
to  milk  after  supper,  Hen  and  Susanna  and 
Neely  and  I  washed  up  the  dishes;  and  while  we 
were  at  it,  Hiram  and  Jason  were  pulled  apart, 
Jason  with  a  gouged  eye  and  a  bitten  arm,  Hi- 
ram with  a  bloody  nose  and  a  raked  shin.  Then, 


THE  VISIT  HOME  151 

Mrs.  Salyer  and  Keats  returning,  and  every- 
body being  very  sleepy  indeed,  we  all  went  to 
bed  in  "t'other  house,"  the  little  girls  and  I  in 
one  bed,  Mrs.  Salyer,  Sammy  and  Keats  in  a 
second,  and  Hiram,  Hen  and  Jason  in  the  third 
(Hen  in  the  middle).  We  had  some  general 
conversation  after  retiring,  and  it  was  all  very 
happy  and  sociable.  And  of  course  Ponto  slept 
in  the  room,  too,  and  when,  faithful  guardian, 
he  was  not  running  to  the  door  to  growl  at 
imaginary  intruders,  he  was  thumping  his  tail 
on  the  floor,  or  turning  round  and  round  before 
the  fire  to  settle  himself  to  his  satisfaction. 

Saturday  morning,  Keats,  Hen  and  even  I 
tried  to  beg  off  from  the  funeral  occasion;  but 
of  course  it  was  useless;  and  there  was  a  busy 
time  getting  ready  to  start.  A  little  past  noon, 
I,  on  Mandy,  with  Susanna  behind  me,  and 
Mrs.  Salyer  on  Charlie,  with  Sammy  before  and 
Neely  behind,  reached  the  top  of  Bee  Tree  Gap, 
and  looked  down  into  the  valley  on  the  far  side, 


152  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  boys  racing  ahead  of  us.  On  a  hill-shoulder 
below,  grave-houses  were  visible,  and  people 
and  nags  were  moving  about. 

Still  farther  down  the  valley,  Mrs.  Salyer 
showed  me  Emmeline's  lonely  little  home.  Em- 
meline,  she  said,  had  died  a  year  and  three 
months  before,  during  the  typhoid  that  took  off 
Mr.  Salyer,  leaving  a  virtuous  and  pious  mem- 
ory, seven  small  children,  and  a  deeply-stricken 
"widow." 

Before  we  reached  the  burying-ground,  the 
services  began  with  a  long-drawn  funeral  song, 
that  came  up  to  us  in  snatches.  Very  mournful 
and  beautiful  the  tune  was,  embodying  the  very 
spirit  of  loneliness,  sorrow  and  resignation.  As 
we  drew  nearer,  Mrs.  Salyer  joined  in  the  re- 
frain, and  I  caught  some  of  the  words, 

I'm  a  long  time  travelling  here  below, 
A  long  time  travelling  away  from  my  home. 
A  long  time  travelling  here  below 
To  lay  this  body  down! 

"A  long  time  travelling"  indeed  it  seems  to 


THE  VISIT  HOME  153 

those  of  us  bereft  as  she  is,  and  as  I  am.  The 
inexpressible  sweep,  dignity  and  pathos  of  the 
song  will  haunt  me  as  long  as  I  live. 

We  joined  the  crowd  among  the  grave-houses. 
In  front  of  the  newest  of  these,  saplings  had  been 
laid  across  logs  to  make  seats;  and  the  people 
who  could  not  be  accommodated  here  sat  on 
the  ground  or  walked  quietly  about.  Even  the 
numerous  babies  were  quiet,  as  if  knowing  that 
a  funeral  occasion  demanded  it. 

The  immediate  family  sat  on  the  front  sap- 
ling, facing  the  preachers,  who  occupied  a  plank 
against  the  grave-house.  Mrs.  Salyer  pointed 
out  Emmeline's  bereaved  "widow"  to  me.  He 
sat  with  drooping  head  and  utterly  dejected 
attitude,  while  the  row  of  children  with  him 
wept.  Just  at  his  side  was  a  wholesome-faced 
young  woman,  surely  too  old  to  be  Emmeline's 
daughter,  holding  on  one  arm  a  child  about  a 
year-and-a-half  old,  and  in  the  other  a  very 
pink  new  baby. 


154  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Who  is  that?"  I  inquired. 

Mrs.  Salyer  whispered  back,  "That's  his  new 
woman,  Mary, — of  course  he  was  bound  to  get 
him  one  right  off,  with  all  them  young  ones.  She 
treats  them  mighty  good,  too.  The  new  one's 
hers,— it  come  eight  days  ago,  just  in  time  for 
the  funeral  occasion." 

When  the  first  preacher  started  to  speak,  and 
Emmeline's  virtues  began  to  be  aired,  I  saw 
with  interest  and  surprise  that  Mary  wept  as 
sincerely  and  heartily  as  anybody,  her  tears 
dropping  down  impartially  upon  the  nursing 
baby  and  the  older  one.  Once,  when  her  hus- 
band seemed  quite  overcome,  she  laid  a  pitying 
hand  on  his  shoulder;  at  other  times,  with  a 
corner  of  her  apron  she  tenderly  wiped  the  eyes 
and  noses  of  all  the  children  within  reach.  And 
when,  later,  the  preacher  referred  solemnly  and 
unblinkingly  to  the  fact  that  Emmeline's  off- 
springs had  now  fell  into  the  hands  of  a  step- 
maw,  and  it  behooved  her  to  remember  that 


THE  VISIT  HOME  155 

she  must  one  day  give  account  to  the  God  of 
widows  and  orphans,  she  bowed  her  head  very 
humbly,  and  seemed  to  be  at  once  overwhelmed 
and  uplifted  by  the  thought  of  her  responsibil- 
ity. Her  face  was  really  wonderful  and  beauti- 
ful, and  in  it  I  saw  far  more  hope  for  the  hap- 
piness of  Emmeline's  offsprings  than  in  that  of 
the  "  widow."  In  both  wives  he  appears  to 
have  received  more  than  his  deserts. 

The  whole  scene^-the  lonely  mountain- 
shoulder,  the  weather-beaten  grave-houses,  the 
isolated  little  home  below,  the  reds  and  yellows 
of  the  forest  fading  after  a  night  of  heavy  frost, 
the  ancient  spectacle  of  human  bereavement 
and  sorrow  with  nothing  to  relieve  it  save  the 
look  on  Mary's  face — went  to  my  heart  till  the 
tears  came. 

At  four  o'clock,  having  heard  five  preachers 
and  several  funeral  songs,  we  took  our  depar- 
ture. The  occasion  was  to  last  all  day  Sunday, 
too.    I,  however,  besought  Mrs.  Salyer  to  let  the 


156  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

boys  have  one  day  at  home,  and  at  last  gained 
her  consent;  and  when  we  were  once  more  in 
bed,  and  conversation  had  languished,  and 
Ponto  was  thumping  the  floor  with  his  tail 
again,  Keats  raised  his  head  from  the  pillow  to 
murmur,  sleepily,  but  rapturously  "  Gee-oh, — a 
whole  Mother  day  at  home  to-morrow !" 

On  our  arrival  at  the  school  to-night  after 
dark,  I  heard  that  Nucky  had  left  Friday  in 
spite  of  my  commands,  and  had  not  yet  re- 
turned. 


XV 

TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSE- 
WHERE 

First  Monday,  November. 

About  ten  this  morning,  Nucky  came  silently 
into  the  cottage,  got  his  books,  and  was  starting 
to  the  school-house,  when  I  called  him  into  my 
room. 

"Did  you  go  home?"  I  asked. 

"Yes." 

"And  did  Blant  send  you  back?" 

"Yes,"  he  said.  Then  suddenly  he  flung  the 
books  on  the  floor  and  burst  into  furious  weep- 
ing. "He  run  me  off,"  he  said;  "and  now  there 
haint  nobody  to  keep  lookout  for  him,  and  I 
know  he'll  be  kilt!  If  I  was  strong  as  him,  I'd 
show  him  whether  he  could  run  me  off!" 

(I  judge  that  Blant  had  to  resort  to  severe 

157 


158  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

measures  before  prevailing  upon  him  to  re- 
turn.) 

"When  did  he  send  you  back?" 

"Saturday." 

"Where  have  you  been  since  then?" 

"Laying  out  in  the  high  rocks, — I  felt  so  bad 
I  never  cared  what  become  of  me.  Todd  and 
Dalt  will  get  Blant,  I  know  they  will!" 

I  tried  to  comfort  and  cheer  the  poor  child, 
telling  him  Rich  Tarrant  would  help  Blant,  but 
I  myself  feel  that  he  has  grave  cause  for  anx- 
iety. 

Wednesday. 

Trouble  certainly  arrives  promptly.  A  man 
stopped  at  the  gate  this  noon  and  hallooed  for 
Nucky.  "War's  broke  out  again  on  Trigger," 
he  said;  "yesterday  was  election  day,  and  when 
Blant  rid  down  to  the  precinct  booth  to  cast  his 
first  vote,  there  was  Todd  and  Dalt  a-drinking 
and  a-whooping  round  like  wild,  and  making 
their  brags  he  wouldn't  dast  to  put  in  an  ap- 


TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSEWHERE     159 

pearance.  Of  course  when  he  come,  it  was  just  a 
question  of  the  quickest  trigger;  and  Todd  had 
his  right  elbow  put  out  of  business,  and  Dalt  a 
bullet  in  his  shoulder,  before  you  could  bat 
your  eye.  Blant  he  got  a  trifling  flesh-wound  in 
his  thigh, — nothing  to  speak  of.  He  said  you 
would  probably  hear  of  the  trouble,  and  not  git 
it  straight,  and  he  sont  me  over  to  relate  to 
you  how  it  really  was,  and  to  tell  you  to  stay 
right  where  you  air,  or  you'll  see  certain  trou- 
ble,— that  he  is  plenty  able  to  tend  to  all  that 
comes,  and  you  thro  wed  in;  that  your  maw's 
desires  that  you  get  Taming  has  got  to  be  ful- 
filled though  the  heavens  fall." 

Nucky  was  silent  and  white  for  a  moment; 
then  he  called  out  savagely,  "  You  tell  him  I  hate 
him  for  treating  me  this  way,  and  I  don't  mind 
if  he  does  get  kilt!",  then,  rushing  into  his  room 
and  locking  his  door,  I  heard  him  kick  chairs 
violently  about,  and  then  burst  into  another 
wild  fit  of  weeping.    With  his  devotion  to  Blant 


160  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

turned  back  upon  itself,  and  his  emotions  and 
energies  denied  their  natural  outlet,  I  can  see 
that  this  is  to  be  a  time  of  great  strain  and 
suffering. 

Friday. 
I  am  pleased  to  find  that  Geordie's  blandish- 
ments are  not  invariably  successful.  The  little 
Salyers  brought  back  with  them  from  home  two 
pairs  of  stout  brogans.  Now  that  November 
has  set  in,  it  is  necessary  to  get  all  feet  covered, 
—a  most  difficult  proposition,  since  the  friendly 
barrels  hold  almost  no  boys'  shoes.  Women's 
shoes  have  had  to  be  de-heeled  and  pressed  into 
service;  and  these  of  course  suffer  by  comparison 
with  the  fine  brogans.  Yesterday  while  we  were 
planting  onions,  I  heard  snatches  of  a  conversa- 
tion between  Geordie  and  Hen,  in  which  the 
word  "brogans"  played  a  prominent  part. 
What  Geordie's  various  offers  were  I  could  not 
gather;  but,  evidently,  Hen  has  an  acute  mind, 
and  has  been  cutting  eye-teeth  in  past  expe- 


TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSEWHERE     161 

riences;  for  his  final  answer  came  out  loud  and 
emphatic, 

"No,  son,  I  don't  want  your  cow, — your 
calf's  lousy!" 

Sunday  Night. 

With  Nucky,  moods  of  deep  depression  alter- 
nate with  those  of  insane  daring.  Yesterday, 
looking  up  from  the  garden,  I  was  horrified  to 
see  him  balancing  on  the  roof-tree  of  the  big 
house,  with  the  slippery,  frosty  roof  slanting 
steeply  down  on  both  sides;  and  this  afternoon 
on  our  walk,  while  the  boys  played  "fox  and 
dogs"  and  ran  like  deer  over  tTie  mountains,  I 
saw  the  "fox,"  Nucky,  make  for  the  gray  rocks 
and  crags  that  crown  the  summit  of  one,  and  then 
crawl  to  the  jutting  edge  of  the  highest,  and  hang 
with  his  hands  from  it,  out  over  space.  These 
performances  of  his  cause  me  acute  suffering. 

I  wonder  that  mothers  have  not  made  a 
study  of  the  effects  of  color  upon  children. 
My  change  of  dress  in  the  evenings  from  dark 


162  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

blue  serge  to  cardinal  silk  causes  an  even  more 
pronounced  change  in  the  home  atmosphere. 
Red,  the  color  of  life,  certainly  appeals  to  boys; 
when  I  put  on  the  cardinal  dress,  they  love  to 
stroke  it  with  their  hands,  or  to  nib  their  heads 
against  my  shoulders  as  I  read. 

That  beauty  also  means  a  great  deal  more  to 
them  than  we  older  people  think,  I  was  made  to 
realize  when  Iry  began  to  tell  to-night  about 
the  "powerful  pretty  looks"  of  his  young 
mother,  and  how  he  loved,  baby  though  he  was, 
to  "just  lay  and  look  at  her."  He  told  of  one 
day  in  particular  when  he  awoke  from  sleep  in 
her  arms  before  a  great,  roaring  fire,  and  he  and 
she  looked  and  smiled  into  each  other's  eyes  for 
a  long,  long  time,  until  some  strange  women 
came  in  and  interrupted  them.  It  is  a  singular 
thing  for  him  to  remember — doubtless  he  and 
she  had  gazed  into  each  other's  eyes  many 
times,  after  the  manner  of  mothers  and  first- 
born sons — probably  the  coming  of  the  strange 


TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSEWHERE     163 

women   fixed   this  particular   incident   in   his 
memory. 

Later  in  the  evening,  when  we  resumed  the 
adventures  of  Odysseus,  there  was  a  chorus  of 
indignation  when  the  hero  permits  the  monster 
Scylla  to  snatch  six  of  his  friends  from  the  ship 
and  make  a  meal  of  them.  "  Shut  up  the  book ! " 
"Don't  want  to  hear  about  no  such  puke- 
stocking  as  him,,,  "  Ongratef ul's  worse'n  pizen!" 
"  Why 'n't  he  grab  his  ax  and  chop  off  them  six 
heads  when  he  seed  'em  a-coming?  "  "  Any  man 
can't  fight  for  his  friends  better  be  dead!"  were 
some  of  the  comments.  I  bowed  to  the  storm 
and  shut  the  book,  to  hear  several  instances  of 
true  friendship  related.  One  was  about  Blant 
and  Rich  Tarrant.  During  active  hostilities  on 
Trigger  last  winter,  Blant  was  getting  out 
yellow  poplar  timber  from  the  top  of  his  moun- 
tain, almost  under  the  shadow  of  the  "high 
rocks"  on  the  summit,  Richard  assisting  him. 
Happening  to  cast  his  eyes  upward,  Richard  was 


1 64  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

just  in  time  to  see  the  muzzle  of  a  gun  projecting 
over  the  rocks,  and  to  throw  himself  in  front  of 
Blant  and  receive  the  discharge  in  his  own 
bosom.  Had  it  been  an  inch  farther  to  the 
right,  it  would  have  pierced  his  heart.  As  it 
was,  he  made  a  troublesome  recovery. 

"That's  what  I  call  right  friendship/ '  said 
Nucky;  "there  haint  a  minute  in  the  day  when 
him  and  Blant  wouldn't  lay  down  their  life  for 
each  other,  glad." 

"Who  was  it  shot  the  gun?"  inquired  Philip. 

"Oh,  Todd.  We  knowed  it  later  when  he 
went  about  with  his  left  hand  tied  up, — Blant 
fired  as  the  bullet  hit  Rich,  at  the  hand  that 
held  the  gun.  We  Marrses  don't  do  no  low- 
down  fighting, — we  alius  fight  in  the  open.  And 
the  Cheevers  used  to;  but  Todd  is  a  snake  in  the 
grass,  and  don't  stop  at  nothing." 

Thursday. 

While  at  the  big  house  talking  with  the 
head-workers  yesterday,  they  showed  me  some 


TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSEWHERE     165 

albums  of  photographs  made  in  the  beginnings 
of  their  work  here,  before  the  school  was  even 
thought  of,  and  when  they  came  up  from  the 
Blue  Grass  only  in  the  summers,  and  lived  in 
tents,  having  classes  in  cooking,  sewing,  singing, 
nursing  and  the  like.  I  turned  the  pages  with 
eagerness,  hearing  enthralling  tales  as  I  went, 
and  stopped  at  last  before  a  small  picture  of 
strange  beauty.  In  a  blaze  of  firelight,  against 
a  dusky  log-cabin  interior,  sat  a  young  mother 
with  a  child  clasped  in  her  arms.  The  serene, 
Madonna-like  tenderness  of  face  and  attitude 
made  the  photograph  memorable  and  surprising. 

"Many  persons  have  admired  that  picture," 
said  one  of  the  heads;  "we  took  it  years  ago, 
over  on  Rakeshin  Creek,  late  one  afternoon 
when,  weary  from  a  long  tramp,  we  walked  in 
upon  a  young  mother  and  her  child  in  the  fire- 
light.    We  spent  the  night  there  afterward." 

"On  Rakeshin !"  I  exclaimed.  "How  long 
ago  was  it?" 


166  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Eight  years,  I  should  say." 

"Do  you  suppose— could  it  have  been,  the 
wife  and  child  of  Mr.  Atkins?  " 

"That's  exactly  who  it  was,"  she  re- 
plied,—"one  of  his  wives,  I  hardly  remember 
which." 

"I  know,"  I  said;  "it  was  Iry's  mother. 
And  that  wonderful  child  remembers  the  very 
hour!  Only  Sunday  he  was  telling  of  the  long 
look  he  and  his  mother  were  taking  at  each  other 
when  some  strange  women  came  in  and  inter- 
rupted them." 

The  heads  exclaimed  with  me  in  wonder  and 
loving  interest. 

"Give  it  to  me,"  I  said,  "so  that  I  may  send 
it  off  at  once  to  be  enlarged  for  his  Christmas 
present." 

Friday. 

Very  heavy  rains  for  three  days,  and  another 
big  "tide,"  with  seven  panels  of  the  back  fence 
washed  away,  and  Perilous  a  boiling  yellow 


TROUBLE  ON  TRIGGER  AND  ELSEWHERE     167 

flood  down  which  logs  and  whole  trees  are  rush- 
ing. What  was  my  horror,  on  hearing  loud 
cheers  from  the  stable-lot  this  morning,  to  see 
Nucky  out  in  the  middle  of  the  torrent,  standing 
calmly  on  a  swift  log,  which  even  as  I  glanced, 
shot  around  a  curve  and  out  of  sight.  Ten 
minutes  of  agony  for  me  followed;  then  Nucky 
reappeared,  wet  only  to  the  waist,  and  followed 
by  every  boy  on  the  place. 

"Gee,  that  wasn't  nothing,"  he  deprecated, 
in  answer  to  my  reproaches,  "I've  rid  logs  ever 
sence  I  was  born.  I  just  jumped  on  her  when 
she  come  a-nigh  shore,  and  off  again  down 
Perilous  a  piece.    I  haint  af eared! " 

"  Haint  af  eared  got  his  neck  broke  yesterday," 
remarked  Joab,  drily. 

These  desperate  and  daring  moods  of  Nucky's 
are  source  of  untold  suffering  to  me.  I  know 
they  are  caused  largely  by  his  worry  over 
Blant,  and  his  baffled  desire  to  be  at  his  post  on 
Trigger.    Sometimes  I  think  it  would  be  best 


168  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

to  let  him  go, — there  can  be  no  doubt  that 
Blant  does  need  him,  and  he  is  doing  little  in 
his  studies,  and  is  so  bitter  and  gloomy  that  I 
scarcely  know  my  once  delightf ul  boy. 


XVI 
FILIAL  PIETY  AND  CROUP 

Saturday  Bed-time. 

This  evening,  while  we  were  popping  corn  in 
the  "fotch-on"  poppers,  Killis  said  he  could 
recollect  " capping' '  corn  in  a  skillet  under  the 
still  while  he  and  his  father  made  liquor. 

"You  made  liquor?"  I  exclaimed. 

"Can't  remember  when  I  didn't,"  he  re- 
plied; "I  holp  paw  from  the  time  I  could  walk. 
I  would  go  with  him  up  the  hollow,  and  gather 
wood  for  the  fire,  and  then  set  and  watch  the 
singlings  whilst  he  kep'  a  lookout  for  officers. 
And  sometimes  he  would  let  me  mix  the  doub- 
lings, too.  And  when  the  liquor  was  made,  and 
folks  would  come  to  buy  it,  I  would  circle  round 
up  in  the  field  where  it  was  hid,  to  show  'em  the 

place,  and  they  would  come  up  with  their  jugs 
169 


i7o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

and  leave  the  money  under  a  stump.  Gee,  I 
knowed  so  much  about  the  business  I  could  run 
it  myself !" 

"I  hope  and  pray  you  never  will,"  I  said, 
earnestly. 

"What  you  got  again'  it,— you  haint  no 
officer,"  he  said. 

"  No,"  I  said,  "  but  I  think  it  is  wrong."  And 
I  gave  my  reasons,  which,  however,  failed  to 
carry  much  conviction. 

"The  marshal  that  kilt  your  paw,"  inquired 
Nucky,  at  last,  "how  long  you  aim  to  let  him 
live?" 

"Till  I'm  good  and  ready  for  him,"  replied 
Killis;  "I  got  a  dead  tree  up  the  hollow  I  prac- 
tice on  all  the  time, — there's  a  band  breast- 
high  around  it  black  with  bullet-holes.  Some- 
times I  shoot  walking,  and  sometimes  running, 
and  sometimes  I  fetch  a  nag  up  and  gallop 
around  and  shoot.  When  I  get  so  I  never  miss, 
I'll  ride  over  where  he  lives  at  and  tell  him 


I  got  a  dead  tree  up  the  hollow  I  practice  on  all  the  time. ' " 


171 


1 72  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

'I'm  Steve  Blair's  boy,'  and  shoot  him  down 
like  a  dog,  and  revenge  my  paw,  and  do  my 
duty." 

A  murmur  of  quiet  approval  began  with 
Nucky  and  passed  around  the  circle. 

After  the  other  boys  went  to  bed,  I  finally 
extracted  from  Killis  a  solemn  promise  not  to 
perform  this  "duty"  before  he  was  eighteen. 
It  was  the  utmost  I  could  accomplish, — long 
years  of  training  must  do  the  rest. 

Monday. 

The  first  real  snow  yesterday,  and  the  boys 
wild  in  consequence.  On  our  walk  up  Perilous, 
they  found  drifts  in  which  they  dived  and  wal- 
lowed. Coming  back  I  noticed  that  Jason  was 
quite  hoarse;  and  in  the  middle  of  the  night  I 
was  awakened  by  strange  and  painful  sounds,  as 
if  someone  were  choking  to  death.  The  night 
was  cold,  the  bed  warm;  I  lay  and  listened  a 
moment  longer.  Then  flinging  on  wrapper  and 
slippers,  I  ran  across  the  sitting-room  to  the 


"The  first    real   snow  yesterday,  and   the   boys  wild  in 


consequence. 
173 


i74  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

upper  bedroom.  Jason  was  sitting  up  in  bed, 
gasping  for  breath. 

"What  is  the  matter  with  you?"  I  asked. 

"Croup,"  he  croaked,  between  gasps. 

"Did  you  ever  have  it  before?" 

"I  follow  havin'  it." 

"Why  didn't  you  tell  me  it  was  coming  on?" 

"Afeared  you'd  whup  me." 

I  wrung  my  hands.  "Geo,"  I  called  back, 
"what  in  the  world  should  be  done  for  croup?" 

But  for  once  her  resources  failed.  "  Some  ties 
grease  around  their  necks,"  she  said. 

I  have  a  maxim,  "when  in  doubt  try  a  hot- 
water-bag".  Desperately  stirring  the  fire  in  my 
grate,  I  put  on  water,  and  while  it  was  heating 
spread  vaseline  on  a  handkerchief.  Then  flying 
back  to  Jason,  I  slapped  first  the  handkerchief, 
then  the  hot  bag,  upon  his  chest.  Apparently 
the  child  was  choking  to  death, — I  was  terribly 
frightened, — the  water  may  have  been  a  little 
over-hot     At  any  rate,  between  chokes,  my 


FILIAL  PIETY  AND   CROUP  175 

"little  pet"  raised  the  most  roof -splitting  yells. 
"Take  it  off!  Take  it  off!  Paw  he  gits  me  pole- 
cat-grease !"  All  the  boys  jumped  out  of  their 
beds  and  came  running.  Jason  fought  me  like 
a  little  tiger;  but  grabbing  him  by  the  hair,  I 
held  the  bag  on  with  all  my  might.  His  yells 
increased.  "Oh,  God,  she's  a-killing  me!  Oh, 
God,  she's  a-burning  me  up!  Oh,  God,  gimme 
pole-cat-grease,  pole-cat-grease,  po — ole-c&t- 
grease!"  It  was  an  awful  moment;  but  I  held 
my  ground  and  the  bag.  In  a  few  seconds,  which 
seemed  ages,  the  cries  and  chokes  lessened, 
the  breathing  became  quieter,  the  tense  little 
frame  relaxed,  and  danger  was  past. 

Half  an  hour  later,  when,  weak  but  safe,  my 
angel  child  lay  quiet  on  his  pillow,  Philip,  stand- 
ing over  him,  remarked  philosophically, 

"Son,  you'd  a-waited  a  right  smart  spell  for 
pole-cat-grease, — better  to  lose  a  patch  of  your 
hide  than  die  waiting  for  that!" 


XVII 

BLESSINGS  AND  HATINGS 

Thanksgiving  Day,  Bed-time. 

All  day  my  heart  has  been  overflowing  with 

thankfulness;  and  to-night  when  I  accompanied 

my  sons  to  the  beautiful  Thanksgiving  party  at 

the  big  house,  where  all  the  young  folks  from 

miles  around  were  gathered,  and  observed  their 

handsome  appearance  in  their  Sunday  suits  and 

gay  new  ties,  and,  still  better,  their  ease  of 

manner,  and  social  graces,  my  heart  swelled 

with  pride  almost  to  bursting.     I  own  to  a 

weakness  for  pretty  looks  and  pretty  ways;  and 

with  the  exception  of  Philip,  who  scorned  to  play 

any  of  the  games  in  which  girls  had  a  part,  my 

boys  quite  satisfied  me  to-night. 

Still  later,  when  we  came  home  and  sat 
176 


BLESSINGS  AND  HATINGS  177 

around  our  fire  to  talk  it  over,  I  in  my  pink  party- 
dress,  Nucky  and  Keats  leaning  against  my 
shoulders,  Jason  and  Iry  with  their  heads  in  my 
lap,  the  other  eight  gathered  as  closely  as  pos- 
sible about  me,  it  seemed  to  me  I  had  reached 
the  point  where  I  could  say  "My  cup  runneth 
over".  When  was  a  lonely  heart  more  truly 
comforted,  a  forlorn  creature  snatched  from 
greater  desolation  to  brighter  cheer?  "Yea, 
the  sparrow  hath  found  her  a  nest",  "Thou 
has  set  the  desolate  in  families".  Almost  a 
miraculous  thing  it  seems  that  I  should  actually 
have  the  desire  of  my  heart, — a  houseful  of 
children;  and,  instead  of  the  hideous  loneliness 
I  looked  forward  to  a  few  months  ago,  the  de- 
lightful task  of  bringing  up  these  twelve  sons 
to  manhood  and  good  citizenship.  Indeed,  I 
often  ask  myself,  what  other  boys  have  such 
gifts  to  bring  to  their  nation?  Proud,  self- 
reliant,  the  sons  of  heroes,  bred  in  brave  tradi- 
tions, knowing  nothing  of  the  debasing  greed 


178  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

for  money,  strengthened  by  a  hand-to-hand 
struggle  with  nature  from  their  very  infancy 
(I  have  not  one  who  did  not  begin  at  five  or  six 
to  shoulder  such  family  responsibilities  as  hoe- 
ing corn  all  summer,  tending  stock,  clearing 
new  ground,  grubbing,  hunting,  gathering  the 
crop),  they  should  bring  to  the  service  of  their 
country  primal  energy  of  body  and  spirit,  un- 
quenchable valor,  and  minds  untainted  by  the 
lust  of  wealth. 

Yes,  I  know  that  I  am  greatly  blessed.  Chil- 
dren of  my  own  could  be  no  dearer  to  me,  and 
certainly  not  half  so  interesting;  and  my  heart 
is  fed  and  satisfied.  After  all,  is  not  motherhood 
less  a  thing  of  the  flesh  than  of  the  spirit,— in- 
deed, the  richest,  fairest  blossoming  known  to 
the  human  spirit?  I  believe  that  if  all  the  sad, 
lonely,  self-centred  women  in  the  land  could 
know  what  joy  dwells  in  my  heart  to-night, 
within  twenty-four  hours  orphan  asylums  would 
be  depopulated,  city  streets  waifless. 


BLESSINGS  AND  HATINGS  179 

Nucky  lingered  after  the  others  went  off  to 
bed,  to  cover  the  fire.  Then  he  opened  the  front 
door,  and  stood  looking  out  into  the  bright 
moonlight.  "  These  is  the  nights  Blant  needs 
me  at  home,"  he  said,  sighing  deeply;  "seems 
like  I  can't  get  no  peace  or  rest  in  my  mind  for 
troubling  over  him."  I  crossed  the  room  and 
stood  beside  Nucky,  also  looking  out.  As  I 
gazed,  his  fear  was  communicated  to  me,  and  the 
fair  moonlight  seemed  suddenly  cruel  and  chill. 

Saturday. 

A  mail-carrier  rides  over  from  Powderhorn 
way  twice  a  week.  This  morning,  while  clean- 
ing was  in  progress,  he  stopped  at  the  cottage 
gate.  "  I  allowed  I'd  stop  and  tell  you  the  news 
from  Trigger,"  he  said.  "  Another  battle  fit  over 
the  fence  last  night.  I  have  been  looking  for  it 
ever  sence  Todd  and  Dalt  come  back,  knowing 
they  wa'n't  bad  wounded  in  the  election  fight. 
Blant  has  been  looking  for  it,  too,  and  Him  and 
Rich  has  took  turns  keeping  watch  of  a  day,  and 


i8o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

of  moonlight  nights.  Last  night  was  Blant's 
watch;  but  he  was  powerful  tired  from  logging, 
and  the  babe  was  punier  than  common,  and 
he  had  to  set  up  with  it  longer,  and  before 
he  knowed  it  he  drapped  off  to  sleep  there 
a-holding  it  before  the  fire;  and  there  he  sot  till 
he  was  woke  by  chilling  about  eleven.  Then  he 
walked  out  to  see  how  the  land  lay  at  the  fence; 
and  there  was  the  whole  b'iling  of  Cheevers, 
with  very  near  all  the  rails  drug  off  the  old 
boundary,  and  a-laying  'em  on  the  new.  All 
hands  got  to  work  with  their  guns,  and  any- 
body'd  a-thought  sure  they'd  finish  him,  so 
many  ag'in'  one;  but  by  good  luck  all  of  'em  put 
together  haint  got  his  aim,  and  atter  a  few  was 
wounded,  they  took  to  their  heels  and  aban- 
doned the  field.  That  'ere  Blant  is  a  pure  won- 
der; but  such  good  luck  haint  apt  to  hit  twice, 
and  they're  bound  to  git  him  sooner  or  later. 
I  hope  I  may  die  if  he  haint  the  worst  handi- 
capped for  warfare  ever  I  seed,  with  a  family  to 


BLESSINGS  AND  HATINGS  181 

feed,  and  a  whole  passel  of  young  uns  to  be  paw 
and  maw  to,  and  the  babe  pindling  all  the  time, 
and  Rich  on  yan  side  the  mountain,  and  his 
uncle  Billy's  boys  a  mile  up  the  branch." 

When  I  turned  around  to  speak  to  Nucky, 
who  had  been  just  behind  me,  he  was  gone. 
Great  as  is  my  anxiety  about  him,  I  realize  the 
uselessness  of  trying  to  send  after  him,  or  to 
hold  him  back. 

Thursday j  first  week  December. 

Nucky  returned  last  night,  after  nearly  a 
week  of  absence, — it  seems  that  Blant  was  glad 
of  his  help  this  time.  He  says  that  on  Monday 
they  gathered  together  Rich  and  his  uncle 
Billy's  boys  and  one  or  two  more,  and  in  broad 
daylight  laid  the  fence  again  on  the  old  line, 
every  man  working  armed,  those  who  drove 
the  mules  that  dragged  the  rails  walking  with 
guns  in  position,  those  who  laid  the  rails  doing 
so  with  guns  tucked  under  their  arms.  "I  car- 
ried my  rifle  Cap'n  Enoch  Marrs  fit  the  British 


x82  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

with,"  said  Nucky.  But  though  the  Marrs  side 
worked  all  day  at  the  fence,  and  the  Cheevers 
must  have  known  what  was  going  on,  not  one  of 
them  appeared.  "They  have  had  their  fill  of 
fighting  Blant  in  the  open,"  said  Nucky;  "what 
they  will  do  now  will  be  to  kill  him  from  cover. 
Todd  he  won't  stop  at  nothing.  And  Blant  he 
haint  able  to  look  out  for  hisself  with  so  much 
to  tend  to,  and  needs  me  there  to  be  eyes  for  . 
him,  especially  now,  with  Christmas  coming  on, 
and  all  the  drinking  and  devilment  that  is  alius 
done  then.  But  he  won't  listen  to  no  reason,  or 
let  me  stay." 

"  I  am  sure  that  Richard  Tarrant  will  be  with 
him  day  and  night,"  I  said,  to  comfort  him. 

"Yes;  but  tha'in't  nobody  got  the  eye  for  a 
Cheever  I  got,  or  can  keep  watch  like  me." 

I  share  Nucky's  feeling  that  he  ought  to  be 
there  to  be  eyes  for  Blant;  at  the  same  time  I  am 
inexpressibly  thankful  that  Blant  refuses  to  keep 
him,  and  that  he  is  here  with  me  in  safety. 


XVIII 
CHRISTMAS  ANTICIPATIONS 

Monday. 
Already  the  air  is  full  of  Christmas  talk  and 
plans.  Besides  the  great  tree  here  in  our  school 
for  the  entire  neighborhood,  the  workers  and 
teachers  expect  to  have  seven  or  eight  trees  in 
other  localities,  thus  bringing  brightness  and 
cheer  and  the  Christmas  story  into  many  sad 
and  colorless  lives.  I  should  have  been  glad  to 
have  a  tree  over  on  Trigger;  but  a  gathering 
there  in  the  present  state  of  feeling  would  be 
extremely  dangerous,  and  by  Nucky's  advice,  I 
have  abandoned  the  hope.  "I'd  like  to  have 
you  come  over,"  he  said;  "but  Trigger  haint  no 
place  for  women  or  women's  doings  now." 

Another  excitement  is  the  telephone  just  set 
183 


1 84  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

up  in  our  village,  connecting  us  with  the  rail- 
road and  the  outside  world.— All  the  boys  went 
down   this   afternoon    to    see   and   hear    the 

marvel. 

Wednesday  Morning. 

I  have  begun  teaching  some  of  the  beautiful 
old  English  carols  to  our  boys  and  girls, — it 
seems  peculiarly  fitting  that  these  children  of 
pure  English  stock  should  sing  the  carols  cen- 
turies ago  upon  the  lips  of  their  ancestors.  But 
the  task  is  an  uphill  one  with  the  boys, — they 
refuse  to  take  any  interest  in  this  or  any  other 
Christmas  preparation.  When  I  reproached 
them  to-night  for  their  apathy,  Philip  said, 

"Nothing  here  to  take  no  interest  in, — won't 
be  no  chance  for  no  Christmas  doings  till  we  git 
away  from  here." 

"But  there  will  be  great  Christmas  doings," 
I  said,  "just  the  very  best  that  can  be  thought 
of." 

"What, — you  women  aiming  to  lay  in  a  store 


CHRISTMAS  ANTICIPATIONS  185 

of  liquor  and  do  a  lot  of  shooting?"  he  asked, 
with  dawning  hope. 

"Horrors,  no!"  I  exclaimed. 

"Them's  the  good  times  I  alius  seed  a-Christ- 
mas." 

"Me,  too!"  echoed  the  other  eleven. 

"Didn't  you  ever  hang  up  your  stocking,  or 
have  a  tree  or  get  presents?" 

"Never  heared  tell  of  the  like  till  I  come 
here." 

"But  it's  the  greatest  possible  fun,"  I  insisted. 

"Fun  enough  for  women,  may  be,  but  men, 
-gee!" 

"Gimme  a  big  jug  of  moonshine!"  shouted 
Joab. 

"And  a  galloping  nag!"  cried  Nucky. 

"And  a  pistol  in  both  hands!"  added  Killis. 

"Boys,"  I  said,  "is  it  possible  you  can  be 
willing  to  spend  the  holy  season  of  Christmas  in 
drinking  and  shooting?" 

"  Only  way  I  ever  heared  of  anybody  spending 


1 86  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

it,"  said  Philip;  "everybody  does  it.  If  there's 
ary  boy  here,"  he  added,  "that  haint  been 
drunk,  or  tried  to,  every  Christmas  he  can  ricol- 
lect,  hold  up  your  hand!" 

Not  a  hand  moved,  till  suddenly,  as  if  by  an 
afterthought,  Killis's  went  up.  "I  weren't  last 
Christmas,"  he  said;  "when  paw  got  shot  and 
lay  a-dying,  he  told  me  never  to  drink  another 
drap,  and  I  haint  toch  it  sence." 

"Mighty  hard  on  you,"  remarked  Joab;  "I 
never  pass  a  Christmas  without  being  drunk, — 
paw  he  gen'ally  fills  me'n  Iry  up  till  we  can't 
see  single,  and  then  makes  us  walk  a  crack  in 
the  floor,  for  fun." 

"I  alius  used  to  swill  all  I  could  hold,  from 
New  Christmas  to  Old  Christmas,"  said  Killis. 

"I  drink  all  I  want  and  then  ride  around  on 
Blant's  nag  and  shoot  off  my  rifle,"  said  Nucky. 

"When  I  were  a  five-year-old,"  contributed 
Geordie,  "my  uncles  give  me  a  pint  of  liquor, 
and  then  put  a  cocked  pistol  in  my  hand  and 


CHRISTMAS  ANTICIPATIONS  187 

p'inted  it  at  Absalom,  and  told  me  to  shoot.  I 
fired  away, — good  thing  I  weren't  sober,  I'd 
a-kilt  him  sure!" 

"The  neighbors  up  the  branch  they  invites  us 
to  their  house  and  treats  us  a- Christmas,"  said 
Hen;  "but  Keats  he  haint  half  a  man, — I  can 
drink  twict  as  much  as  him!" 

"Self-brag  is  half -scandal,"  exclaimed  Keats, 
angrily;  "it's  because  I've  had  white  swelling 
and  typhoid  I  can't  drink  as  much  as  you,  you 
sorry  little  scald-pate!" 

"Paw  and  me  got  so  drunk  last  Christmas  we 
couldn't  roll  over  in  bed,"  piped  up  Jason. 

Taulbee,  the  great  stickler  for  propriety, 
summed  up  the  matter  authoritatively:  "Folks 
would  think  they  was  bad  off  if  they  couldn't 
pass  around  a  jug  of  liquor  a-Christmas,"  he 
said;  "they  would  feel  like  it  weren't  showing 
hospitality." 

When  I  remember  that  this  was  the  idea  of  the 
entire  Christian  world  Jess  than  a  century  ago, 


1 88  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

I  cannot  be  too  severe  upon  my  boys,  distressing 
as  these  conditions  are. 

Killi*  spoke  again  shortly.  "I  want  every 
boy  here  that  can  get  to  my  house  on  Clinch  a- 
Christmas  to  come,  and  see  a  good  time,"  he 
announced.  "Come  the  Saturday  after  New 
Christmas.  I  can't  drink  myself,  on  account  of 
what  paw  said;  but  I  got  good-and-plenty  for 
my  friends.  And  maw  she'll  give  you  all  you 
can  eat.  And  we'll  shoot  off  all  paw's  guns 
and  pistols." 

There  was  unanimous  acceptance,  even  by 
boys  living  nearly  forty  miles  distant  from 
Killis,  Nucky's  being  qualified  by  the  condi- 
tion, "If  the  Cheevers  haint  giving  too  much 
trouble  at  home." 

I  sighed  deeply.  "Boys,"  I  said,  "you  know 
what  I  think  about  drinking;  you  know  I  con- 
sider it  very,  very  wrong." 

"Quare  women  has  quare  notions,"  remarked 
Joab,  forbearingly. 


CHRISTMAS  ANTICIPATIONS  189 

"You  know  I  hope  the  day  will  come  when 
not  one  of  you  will  ever  touch  liquor,"  I  said. 
"Is  there  one  now  who  thinks  enough  of  me  to 
promise  not  to  drink  this  Christmas?  " 

The  dead  silence  that  followed  was  broken  at 
last  by  Philip.  "We  like  you  all  right,',  he 
said;  "but,  by  grab,  a  fellow's  got  to  see  some 
fan!" 

It  is  rumored  that  Killis's  uncles  still  carry  on 
the  business  in  which  his  father  perished;  so  I 
suppose  there  will  be  no  doubt  about  the 
"good-and-plenty"  to  drink  at  his  house. 

Sunday,  mid-December. 

Two  birthdays  this  past  week,  Philip's 
thirteenth,  Wednesday,  and  Nucky's  twelfth 
yesterday,  and  the  excitement  of  having  gor- 
geous birthday  cakes  at  our  table,  and  passing 
around  candles  for  birthday  wishes. 

At  bed-time  last  night,  Hen  came  up  from  the 
wash-house  looking  extremely  clean  as  to  head 
and  feet.    When  he  was  passing  into  the  bed- 


i9o  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

room  however,  I  called  him  back.  "What  is 
that  dark  band  just  below  your  nightgown?" 
I  asked. 

He  made  no  reply,  but  stooped  so  that  his 
gown  should  fall  lower.  I  lifted  the  hem  to  his 
knees,  revealing  the  fact  that  the  cleanness 
stopped  half-way,  and  that  above  that  line  his 
legs  were  more  than  dingy.  "Didn't  you  wash 
all  over?"  I  inquired. 

"Not  quite  all." 

"  How  much  did  you  wash?  " 

"Down  to  my  neck  and  very  near  up  to  my 
knees.  That  dag-gone  ole  gown  done  shrunk 
up  two  inches  sence  the  last  time." 

"But  didn't  I  tell  you  you  must  wash  all  over 
every  single  bath?" 

"That  was  before  cold  weather  sot  in.  Philip 
he  said  down  to  your  neck  and  up  to  your  knees 
was  a-plenty  in  cold  weather,  and  all  he  was 
aiming  to  do;  and  it's  all  any  of  us  boys  been 
a-doing  sence  November  started  in." 


CHRISTMAS  ANTICIPATIONS  191 

"You  haint  never  washed  as  far  up  as  your 
knees,  son,"  corrected  Keats,  from  superior 
heights;  "you  alius  stop  where  your  nightgown 
comes  to.  I  told  you  she'd  ketch  you  if  you 
done  that!" 

Summoning  all  my  family,  I  found  the  shock- 
ing fact  to  be  true  that  for  six  weeks  not  one  had 
bathed  any  farther  than  "down  to  my  neck 
and  up  to  my  knees," — they  rather  gloried  in  it, 
especially  Philip,  and  complained  bitterly  when 
made  to  lose  several  days'  play  time,  in  addition 
to  taking  a  complete  bath  instantly,  every  one, 
though  it  was  already  past  bed-time. 

Truly  my  Thanksgiving  pride  in  their  beauti- 
ful manners  and  aristocratic  appearance  has 
received  a  severe  shock! 


XIX 
CHRISTMAS  AND  DANGER 

Wednesday  Afternoon, 

Christmas  Day. 

No  time  to  catch  one's  breath  for  ten  days. 

Now  the  festivities  are  over.    First  came  the 

tree  last  night.    It  was  an  exciting  time  as  all 

of  us,  teachers,  children,  and  parents  from  miles 

around,  dressed  in  our  best,  sat  waiting,  the  sole 

blot  on  my  happiness  being  that  just  as  the 

curtain  was  drawn  back,  revealing  the  splendid 

" spruce-pine' '    (hemlock)    with    its    gleaming 

candles,  strings  of  popcorn  and  hollyberries, 

and    mysterious    packages    tied    and    banked 

around,  my  Philip,  having  successfully  eluded 

me  beforehand,  stepped  out  on  the  platform, 

with  a  dirty  face,  tousled  hair,  soiled  shirt, 
192 


CHRISTMAS  AND  DANGER  193 

gallusses  fastened  by  one  nail,  and  a  large  hole 
in  the  seat  of  his  breeches,  to  hand  the  gifts  to 
Santa  Claus  for  distribution. 

Then,  before  daylight  this  morning,  came  the 
boys'  carols,  sung  through  halls  and  stairways 
of  the  big  house,  and  down  through  the  village 
street,  awakening  the  valley  with  the  glad 
tidings;  and,  finally,  the  great  moment  after 
breakfast,  when  our  resident  children  were 
turned  into  the  library,  where,  on  a  "fireboard" 
extended  for  the  occasion  across  two  sides  of 
the  room,  hung  seventy  gay  stockings.  Great 
was  the  joy  of  little  and  big  girls,  many  of  whom 
had  never  beheld  a  doll  before,  over  the  pretty 
"poppets"  in  the  tops  of  their  stockings;  great, 
though  quieter,  the  pleasure  of  the  boys  in 
"store"  marbles,  balls  and  knives,  not  to  men- 
tion candy  and  "orange-apples";  but  greatest 
was  the  happiness  of  little  Iry,  the  "pure 
scholar,"  as,  after  gazing  long  and  wonderingly 
at  the  large  picture  beneath  his  stocking,  he  at 


i94  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

last  clasped  it  rapturously  to  his  heart,  crying, 
"Me'n  my  maw!  I  got  my  maw  back  ag'in!" 
I  knew  he  would  recognize  it! 

My  own  stocking,  too,  held  its  treasures, — 
ten  sticks  of  candy  from  Nucky,  a  little  poke 
of  brown-sugar  and  crackers  (greatest  luxury 
known  to  mountain  children)  from  Killis,  a 
walnut  penholder  from  Philip,  a  fine  apple,  all 
the  way  from  Rakeshin,  and  treasured  for  weeks 
for  the  purpose,  from  Iry,  a  red-flannel  pin- 
cushion from  Jason. 

Then  came  the  painful  moment  when  I  saw 
my  boys  scatter  to  their  homes, — even  Jason, 
who  has  no  home,  went  for  a  week  with  Keats 
and  Hen.  Again  I  begged  Killis  not  to  get  the 
boys  drunk  when  they  visit  him  Saturday,  but 
he  would  make  no  promise.  Last  of  all,  and 
most  reluctantly,  I  bade  Nucky  goodbye.  I 
fear  and  dread  the  events  that  this  Christmas 
season  may  bring  to  pass  on  Trigger,— with  one 
accord,   the  boys  prophesy  "bloody  doings" 


CHRISTMAS  AND  DANGER  195 

there.    I  would  keep  him  back  if  I  could;  but 
nothing  can  prevent  his  going. 

And  now  I  shall  have  a  much  needed  rest,  and 
a  chance  to  catch  up  on  magazines  and  books 
laid  away  for  five  months. 

Bed-time. 

The  day  has  been  ages  long, — I  cannot  read 
or  rest, — the  old  loneliness  is  all  back  upon  me 
again.  Why  did  I  let  all  the  boys  go?  And 
how  am  I  to  face  the  ten  days  of  their  absence? 
The  silence  is  awful.  I  would  give  the  world 
to  hear  the  dozen  pairs  of  shoes  come  thundering 
across  the  little  bridge  and  into  the  cottage,  the 
shrill  voices  raised  in  play  or  song  or  even  a 
fight! 

Thursday  Night. 

My  joy  may  be  imagined  when,  as  I  started 
to  breakfast  this  morning,  I  saw  Jason  come 
climbing  over  the  big  gate.  To  my  pleased 
inquiries  as  to  the  cause  of  his  return,  he  finally 
murmured  with  pretty  bashfulness,  "I  were 


196  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

homesick  for  you!"  "My  darling  child!"  I  cried, 
hugging  him  very  hard.  Then  we  went  to  the 
village  and  bought  all  the  goodies  he  felt  able  to 
eat;  and  all  day  I  have  sat  on  the  floor  playing 
marbles  with  him.  If  I  did  not  have  Killis's 
party,  and  Nucky's  danger  to  worry  over,  I 
should  be  quite  happy.  As  it  is,  a  sense  of  fore- 
boding oppresses  me.  When  this  evening  I  saw 
a  splendid  moon,  almost  full,  hang  over  the 
wooded  mountain  to  the  East,  my  fears  were 
quickened. 

Saturday  Morning. 
All  Thursday,  yesterday  and  last  night,  I 
worried  and  could  not  sleep;  and  my  anxiety  has 
now  reached  a  pitch  where  I  must  do,  and  no 
longer  think.  Something  terrible  hangs  over 
me, — I  know  not  whether  it  is  some  casualty 
to-day  at  Killis's,  consequent  upon  the  drinking 
and  shooting,  or  something  still  more  dreadful 
on  Trigger  Branch.  At  any  rate,  there  is  noth- 
ing to  prevent  my  riding  over  to  Clinch,  and 


CHRISTMAS  AND  DANGER  197 

then,  if  I  find  all  well  there,  going  the  eight 
miles  farther  to  Nucky's,  and  persuading  him  to 
return  with  me  if  possible.  I  am  just  about  to 
set  off  with  Jason. 

Sunday  Morning, 
Killis's  Home  on  Clinch. 

We  came  by  way  of  Nancy's  Perilous,  pass- 
ing the  Salyer  home.  Keats  was  out  chopping 
wood  in  the  snow,  and  greeted  me  joyfully. 
I  accepted  his  invitation  to  alight  for  dinner; 
but  before  I  could  get  off  the  nag,  he  remarked, 
"  I  see  you  got  your  little  pet  up  behind  you, — 
did  he  tell  you  how  come  him  to  leave  a- 
Thursday?" 

"Yes,"  I  replied,  proudly;  "he  was  homesick 
for  me." 

Keats  measured  Jason  with  his  eye.  "He's 
the  lyin'est  little  devil  ever  I  seed,"  he  said; 
"I'll  tell  you  what  made  him  go.  Him  and 
Hiram  fit  from  the  time  he  stepped  in  the  door, 
and  all  through  supper,  and  off'n  on  all  night, 


198  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

and  got  up  before  day  to  start  in  ag'in;  and 
Hiram  he  got  him  down  and  rid  him,  and  Jason 
he  pult  his  Christmas  knife  out  of  his  pocket 
and  jobbed  it  in  Hiram's  wrist,  and  maw  she  tuck 
atter  him  with  a  hickory,  and  he  run  away." 

I  slid  off  Mandy,  called  for  another  hickory, 
sternly  dragged  down  my  "darling  child/'  and 
gave  him,  not  only  the  punishment  he  escaped 
on  Thursday,  but  another  on  my  own  account; 
the  bitterness  of  it  being  doubled  for  him  when 
all  the  Salyers,  including  Hiram,  came  out  to 
see  it  well  done. 

After  a  hasty  dinner,  we  started  on  again, — I 
could  not  be  satisfied  to  tarry.  Dark  pictures 
rose  before  me  all  the  way, — my  dear  boys  drink- 
ing, shooting,  maybe  killing  one  another — and  I 
urged  Mandy  on,  scarcely  feeling  the  cold  wind 
that  blew  down  from  the  snowy  mountains. 

It  was  past  three  when  I  reached  the  Blair 
home.  Behind  it  rose  a  great  hollow,  filled  with 
dark  hemlocks.    I  gazed  up  into  it  with  a  shud- 


CHRISTMAS  AND   DANGER  199 

der,  remembering  it  was  here  that  Killis's 
father  died. 

Mrs.  Blair  met  me  at  the  door,  and  in  answer 
to  my  inquiries  for  the  boys,  said,  "They've 
been  in  and  out  all  day;  now  they're  up  the 
branch  shooting." 

"Have  they  been  drinking  much?"  I  asked. 

"A  sight!"  she  answered;  then  she  continued 
smiling,  "but  what  they've  drank  won't  hurt 
'em  much,  I  reckon.  When  Killis  come  home 
a-Wednesday,  he  called  for  several  jugs  of 
liquor  for  the  boys  a-Saturday;  and  I  told  him 
all  right,  for  I  don't  never  deny  him  nothing. 
But  next  day  'peared  like  he  was  thoughtful 
in  his  mind,  and  come  evening,  he  said  if  he  had 
something  that  weren't  pure  liquor,  but  would 
just  sort  of  cheer  the  boys,  he  would  give  'em 
that,  to  please  you.  And  I  recollected  there  was 
a  barrel  of  cider  left.  So  this  morning,  before 
they  come,  he  drawed  off  a  kag  of  that,  and  being 
as  it  was  pretty  hard,  poured  in  a  couple  of  gallon 


200  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

of  water,  so's  they  wouldn't  get  too  cheered;  and 
all  day  they  been  eating  and  drinking  fit  to 
burst,  and  then  running  out  to  shoot  a  while, 
and  then  filling  up  ag,in.,, 

"Anybody  wounded?"  I  asked. 

"None  so  far." 

Relieved  beyond  expression,  I  sank  into  a 
chair  and  gave  thanks  to  God.  A  little  later, 
Killis  ran  in  the  front  door.  "  I  never  give  them 
boys  nary  drap  but  cider/ '  he  said;  "I  done 
it  to  please  you!" 

I  threw  my  arms  around  him;  yes,  I  even 
wept. 

"And  I  watered  the  cider,  too,"  he  con- 
tinued; "them  boys  thinks  they  are  drunk,  and 
seeing  a  right  Christmas,  but  they  haint,  but  it 
does  'em  just  as  much  good! " 

The  other  boys  followed; — all  mine  but 
Nucky,  the  Salyers  and  the  Atkinses  were 
there,  and  some  neighbor  boys — piling  up  guns 
and  pistols  on  the  beds,  and  taking  another 


CHRISTMAS  AND  DANGER  201 

round  of  pies  and  cider.  Finding  they  were  not 
at  all  abashed  to  see  me,  I  accepted  pressing 
invitations  to  spend  the  night,  and  we  had  a 
cheerful  evening,  with  picking  and  singing,  un- 
til Philip,  who  has  been  visiting  a  boy  friend  on 
Powderhorn,  roused  all  my  premonitions  again 
by  saying, 

"I  went  up  Trigger  to  fetch  Trojan;  but  he 
couldn't  come.  He  said  Todd  and  Dalt  had 
give  it  out  they  would  certainly  take  the  fence 
and  grease  their  boots  with  Blant's  brains  before 
Christmas  was  over;  and  him  and  Rich  was 
a-keeping  lookout  every  minute." 

All  my  fears  leaped  into  being  again  in- 
stantly. If  I  could,  I  would  have  started  for 
Trigger  then  and  there.  I  cannot  say  how 
sinister  the  bright  moonlight  appeared  to  me  as 
it  streamed  in  through  chinks  in  the  logs  during 
the  night.  This  morning  my  panic  seems  exces- 
sive; still  I  am  going  to  Trigger  at  once  with 
Philip  to  guide  me. 


XX 

WAR  AND  WORSE  ON  TRIGGER 

Monday  Noon. 

Let  me  try  to  tell,  if  I  can  do  so,  the  tale  of 
these  dreadful  twenty-four  hours.  We  crossed 
over  a  high  gap  and  down  into  the  head- waters 
of  Powderhorn,  and  thence  to  the  mouth  of 
Trigger.  Just  as  we  reached  it,  a  man  riding 
down  looked  intently  at  me.  "You  are  one  of 
them  school- women,  haint  you?"  he  inquired. 
I  recognized  him  as  Saxby,  Blant's  neighbor 
who  brought  Nucky  word  of  the  election  fight, 
and  replied,  "Yes." 

"I  seed  you  when  I  was  over,"  he  continued. 
"I  allow  by  your  being  here  you  have  heared 
the  news  from  Trigger." 

"What  news?"  I  asked. 


WAR  AND   WORSE  ON  TRIGGER         203 

"Another  engagement  last  night, — I  hate  to 
tell  you  the  rest." 

"  What  is  it?  "  I  demanded. 

"Ever  sence  Blant  defeated  them  at  the 
fence  a  month  gone,  the  Cheever  boys  has  been 
dogging  his  footsteps  in  secret,  trying  to  git  him 
unbeknownst  and  unexpected.  Though  he  haint 
seed  hair  nor  hide  of  'em,  two  or  three  times 
bullets  has  whizzed  by  him  when  he  was  doing 
chores  round  the  house,  or  feeding  the  property. 
Of  course  he  haint  let  the  little  chap,  Nucky, 
know  nothing  about  it,  and  has  stayed  in  and 
laid  low  all  he  could,  letting  Rich  tend  to  out- 
side things  for  him.  As  Christmas  come  on, 
Todd  and  Dalt  got  so  deep  in  liquor  they 
couldn't  keep  their  tongues  from  wagging,  and 
they  have  bragged  far  and  nigh  that  they 
would  both  take  the  fence  and  grease  their 
boots  with  Blant's  brains,  before  Christmas  was 
over.  So  a'  extry  watch  has  been  kept  at  both 
house  and  fence,  and  the  little  chap,  Nucky,  he 


204  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

has  been  hard  at  it.  Last  night  when  the 
full  moon  riz  about  seven,  he  was  in  the  clump 
of  spruce-pine  on  the  p'int  with  his  great- 
grandpaw's  gun  he  alius  packs  around,  when  the 
whole  b'iling  of  Cheevers,  nine  or  ten,  marched 
out  to  the  fence.  Just  what  happened,  we  haint 
got  no  means  of  knowing;  but  instid  of  obeying 
orders,  and  running  to  the  house  to  tell  Blant 
and  Rich,  like  he  ought,  the  boy  he  committed 
plumb  suicide  by  opening  fire  on  'em  from  the 
tree.  Of  course  before  he  could  drap  to  the 
ground,  seven  or  eight  of  'em  had  blazed  away 
in  his  direction;  and  when  Blant  and  Rich 
heared  the  shots  and  come  a-running,  the  little 
chap  was  a-laying  limp  and  dead,  and  the 
Cheevers  running  round  confused-like,  carrying 
of!  one  wounded.  Blant  he  rushed  on  'em  like 
a  robbed  she-bear,  routing  'em  in  no  time, — 
Rich  said  such  shooting  never  was  seed  on  earth. 
I  heared  the  noise  acrost  the  branch  where  I 
live  at,  and  come  a-running.    When  we  turnt 


Blant  he  rushed  on  'em  like  a  robbed  she-bear,  routing 
'em  in  no  time. ' " 
205 


206  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

the  little  chap  over,  we  found  he  was  bleeding 
from  several  flesh  wounds,  which  we  tied  up; 
but  then  we  also  seed  his  skull  was  broke  and 
stove  in  by  another  bullet,  and  knowed  there 
wa'n't  no  hope.  We  tuck  him  to  the  house,  and 
sot  there  all  night  keeping  the  death-watch, 
and  looking  for  every  breath  to  be  his  last." 

"Then  he  still  does  breathe?"  I  asked, 
fiercely. 

"  Yes,  a  little-grain;  but  he  don't  know  noth- 
ing, and  of  course  there  haint  no  possible  chance, 
with  his  skull  broke.  I'm  a-riding  now  to 
inform    his    maw's    kin    down    Powderhorn." 

I  laid  the  whip  to  Mandy,  who,  startled, 
sprang  forward  in  a  gallop.  The  twenty  minutes 
before  I  reached  the  Marrs  home  seemed  end- 
less. I  believed  I  had  already  suffered  all  that 
a  woman  could;  but  that  was  before  I  knew  the 
love  of  a  mother  for  her  child. 

I  ran  into  the  house,  pushing  away  the  people 
gathered  there,  and  laid  my  hand  on  the  bosom 


WAR  AND   WORSE  ON  TRIGGER         207 

of  the  small  body  lying  there  so  limp  and  still. 
The  heart  was  beating,  feebly  but  steadily. 
"He  is  not  dead!"  I  cried,  "and  he  shall  not 
die!" 

Blant,  sitting  crouched  by  the  bed,  head  in 
hands,  raised  up  and  stared  at  me;  Mr.  Marrs 
lifted  a  bandage  from  Nucky's  head,  showing  a 
wound  from  which  a  piece  of  bone  protruded, 
and  shook  his  head  hopelessly. 

"But  the  bullet  can't  have  gone  in,  or  he 
would  have  died  instantly,"  I  said;  "it  must 
have  broken  the  skull  and  glanced  off,  leaving 
the  bone  pressing  against  the  brain." 

"Even  so,  nobody  can't  live  with  their  skull 
broke,"  he  replied. 

"But  they  can, — they  do!  A  broken  skull 
may  be  lifted,  trephined,  by  a  good  surgeon, — 
many  a  life  is  saved  thus  nowadays." 

"Haint  no  surgeons  in  this  country,"  said 
Mr.  Marrs;  "what  few  scattering  doctors  there 
is  don't  follow  carving." 


208  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"But  the  new  telephone ! "  I  cried.  "There  is 
a  telephone  now  from  our  village  to  the  rail- 
road,— we  can  get  word  to  a  surgeon  in  the 
Blue  Grass  in  a  few  hours;  by  hard  riding  he  can 
be  here  inside  of  two  days.  If  we  can  only  keep 
the  child  alive  until  then,  his  life  may  be  saved! " 

Blant  sprang  to  his  feet,  hope  transfiguring  his 
haggard  face.     "Tell  me  what  to  do,"  he  said. 

"Saddle  your  best  nag  for  Philip,  and  let  him 
ride  to  the  school  and  tell  the  nurse  to  telephone 
for  the  best  surgeon  in  the  state,  and  that  we 
shall  bring  Nucky  to  the  hospital  to-night  on  a 
stretcher." 

Philip  dashed  off,  and  the  rest  of  us  went  to 
work  to  make  a  stretcher,  with  two  poles  and 
plenty  of  warm  blankets.  I  know  little  about 
these  matters,  but  I  believed  that  the  child 
could  be  taken  easily  and  safely  across  the 
mountains,  by  relays  of  men,  and  that  if  I  could 
once  get  him  to  the  trained  nurse  she  would 
manage  to  keep  life  in  him. 


WAR  AND   WORSE  ON  TRIGGER         209 

Then  Blant  fed  us;  and  about  two  o'clock  we 
set  forth  down  Trigger,  Blant,  Rich  and  two 
others  bearing  the  stretcher,  and  four  more 
young  men  going  along  to  relieve  them  every 
half-hour. 

As  we  went  slowly  down  Trigger,  we  saw  a 
crowd  gathered  at  Israel  Cheever's  home,  too. 
"Dalt  is  bad  wounded  by  the  little  chap's 
rifle,"  said  one  of  "Uncle  Billy's  boys",  "I  wisht 
it  had  been  Todd." 

When  the  stretcher  changed  hands,  we  care- 
fully examined  Nucky  for  any  change  in  pulse 
or  temperature.    There  was  none. 

Nearly  six  hours  the  march  lasted, — the  way 
was  rough,  the  snow  and  ice  made  the  footing 
uncertain,  the  evening  hours  before  the  moon 
rose  were  dark.  At  last  we  made  the  last  turn, 
and  came  in  sight  of  the  school  and  the  village 
beyond.  Rich  Tarrant  then  laid  a  hand  on 
Blant's  arm. 

"Right  here  is  where  you  take  a  back  track, 


210  MOTHERING  ON   PERILOUS 

Blant,"  he  said,  firmly;  "it  haint  sensible  for 
you  to  walk  right  spang  into  the  teeth  of  the 
sheriff  and  the  jail, — you  can't  afford  to  lose  no 
time  that  way,  your  family  not  being  able  to  do 
without  you." 

"That's  so,"  said  Blant,  "I  plumb  forgot. 
Seems  like  I  can't  stand  to  leave  the  little  chap, 
though." 

"You  got  it  to  do.  He'll  be  took  good  care  of. 
You  follow  the  ridges  back." 

Blant  laid  a  large,  tender  hand  on  Nucky's 
head,  and  without  a  word,  turned  and  struck 
straight  up  the  nearest  mountain,  Rich  watch- 
ing till  he  was  out  of  sight. 

"That  boy  certainly  sees  more  than  his  fill  of 
trouble,"  he  sighed;  "I  wisht  I  could  help  him 
more, — I  would  glad  lay  down  my  life  for  him." 

"You  proved  that  last  winter,"  I  said, 
remembering  the  bullet  he  took  in  his  breast. 

"Oh,  that  wa'n't  nothing  at  all,"  he  dep- 
recated. 


WAR  AND  THE  WORSE  ON  TRIGGER     211 

Sure  enough,  when  we  reached  the  hospital, 
there  in  the  crowd  of  people  who  had  heard  of 
our  coming  and  gathered  to  meet  us,  was  the 
sheriff. 

And  now  Nucky  is  safe  in  the  nurse's  care,  his 
wounds  properly  dressed,  and  all  means  being 
used  to  keep  life  in  him,  the  surgeon  is  on  the 
way,  and  if  he  can  live  until  to-morrow,  he  may 
be  saved.    I  can  only  watch  and  pray. 


XXI 

SUSPENSE 

Wednesday  Morning. 

The  best  surgeon  in  the  state  arrived  at  noon 
yesterday,  performed  the  trephining  at  once, 
and  having  done  all  that  skill  and  science  could, 
started  back  on  his  long  horseback  ride.  Nucky 
continued  in  the  deep  sleep  from  which  he  might 
pass  into  either  life  or  death.  All  afternoon,  and 
into  the  night,  we  watched  in  vain  for  signs  of 
returning  consciousness.  About  ten,  the  door 
opened  noiselessly,  and  Blant  and  Rich  stepped 
in  out  of  the  night.  Two  hours  later,  Nucky's 
head  began  to  move  from  side  to  side,  and  he 
moaned  occasionally.  A  little  past  one,  he  sud- 
denly opened  his  eyes  and  looked  at  Blant. 

"They  never  got  you,  did  they?"  he  asked, 
feebly. 


SUSPENSE  213 

"Who,  son? " 

"Todd  and  Dalt;  they  was  fixing  to  layway 
you  when  I  fired  on  them." 

"Is  that  what  made  you  disobey  orders?"  in- 
quired Blant. 

"Yes.  The  whole  bunch  of  Cheevers  come 
up  to  the  fence,  and  started  to  throw  down  rails; 
and  I  was  just  about  to  drap  down  and  fetch 
you  the  word,  when  I  heared  Todd  tell  the  rest 
to  make  all  the  noise  they  could,  so's  to  tole 
you  out,  and  him  and  Dalt  would  hide  in  the 
trees  and  shoot  you  as  you  passed.  And  then 
they  clim  the  fence  and  made  for  the  very 
spruce-pines  where  I  was  at.  I  knowed  I 
couldn't  get  away  then  to  warn  you,  so  I  done 
my  best  to  shoot  "em." 

Blant's  face  darkened,  but  his  voice  was 
gentleness  itself  as  he  said,  "You  done  wise, 
son;  and  you  certainly  hit  your  mark,  too, 
— they  was  carrying  off  Dalt  when  I  got 
down." 


214  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Nucky  sighed,  deeply,  happily,  closing  his 
eyes. 

After  a  while  he  opened  them  again  to  say, 
"I  allow  they  shot  me  up  a  little  too,  by  these 
here  rags  on  my  head." 

"Oh,  a  trifle,  yes, — but  none  to  hurt, — you 
wa'  n't  born  to  die  by  no  Cheever  lead." 

"Gee,  no,"  breathed  Nucky,  in  quiet  scorn. 

"We  brung  you  over  here  to  the  women,  where 
you  could  get  well  sooner,"  continued  Blant,  in 
his  gentle,  reassuring  voice;  "and  now  since 
you  are  doing  so  fine,  I  reckon  I'll  leave  you  a 
spell  and  get  along  home, — the  babe  is  punier 
than  usual." 

"Yes,  I  don't  want  you  to  stay  here  and  get 
arrested,"  said  Nucky;  "but  I  don't  want  you 
to  go  back  there  neither.  You  keep  a  constant 
watch  on  Todd, — I  wish  it  was  him  I  had  shot." 

Rich  and  I  followed  Blant  out.  Not  until  we 
stood  out  in  the  snow  did  we  wring  one  another's 
hands  in  speechless  relief. 


I  allow  they  shot  me  up  a  little  too  by  these  here  rags 
on  my  head.'" 

215 


216  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Of  course  he  will  live  now,"  I  said. 

To-day  Nucky  is  entirely  rational,  though 
quite  weak.  Only  the  nurse  sees  him.  Killis, 
Taulbee,  Keats,  Hosea  and  Joab  came  in  for 
news  of  him  to-day,  returning  immediately  on 
their  long  walks. 

Friday. 

I  was  permitted  to  visit  Nucky  to-day.  He  is 
still  forbidden  to  talk,  but  he  smiled  his  old 
bright  smile,  and  I  read  Pilgrim's  Progress  to 
him  until  he  fell  asleep. 

Sunday  Morning. 

All  the  boys  came  back  to  school  yesterday 
from  their  vacation,  several  with  gifts  for  me, — 
a  dozen  eggs  from  the  little  Salyers,  a  fine 
ground-hog-hide  from  Joab  ("it'll  make  you 
shoe-strings  enough  to  last  a  lifetime,"  he  said), 
a  handsome  hen  from  Taulbee,  four  huge  sweet- 
potatoes  from  Hosea,  and  an  elegant  green  glass 
breastpin  from  Geordie.  Of  course  the  one 
topic  of  conversation  last  night  was  "Trojan" 


Oft 


SUSPENSE  217 

and  his  performance,  in  which  they  take  endless 
pride.  "  I  allow  Basil  Beaumont  will  sure  make 
up  a  song-ballad  about  him  now,"  said  Absalom. 

They  also  brought  the  news  that  Dalt  Cheever 
is  probably  "aiming  to  live", — thank  heaven 
if  it  is  true,  for  I  cannot  bear  that  Nucky's 
hands  should  be  stained  with  human  blood. 
Doubtless,  however,  it  will  be  a  keen  disappoint- 
ment to  him. 

Monday. 

As  I  was  about  to  leave  the  cottage  for  the 
hospital  last  night  after  supper,  the  boys  were 
all  bewailing  the  fact  that  they  had  not  been 
able  to  stay  at  home  over  Old  Christmas.  I 
asked  them  what  they  meant  by  "Old  Christ- 
mas." 

"You  brought-on  women,"  said  Taulbee, 
"thinks  New  Christmas  is  real  Christmas;  but 
it  haint.  Real  Christmas  comes  to-morrow,  on 
the  sixth  of  January;  and  to-night  is  right 
Christmas  Eve." 


218  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"What  makes  you  think  so?" 

"All  the  old  folks  says  so,  for  one  thing,  and 
they  knows  better  than  young  ones;  and  the 
plants  and  the  beasts  knows  better  still.  To- 
night's the  night  when  the  elder  blossoms  out 
at  midnight,  and  the  cattle  kneels  down  and 
prays, — anybody  can  hear  'em  a-lowing  and 
mowing  if  they  stay  awake  to  listen." 

I  have  a  hazy  recollection  of  the  English 
calendar  having  been  changed  and  set  forward 
eleven  days  in  the  middle  of  the  eighteenth  cen- 
tury, and  of  the  mass  of  the  people  in  England 
and  the  colonies  refusing  to  accept  the  new  date 
for  Christmas.  This  survival  in  the  mountain 
country  is  indeed  remarkable. 

I  sat  keeping  watch  beside  Nucky  when  the 
clock  struck  midnight,  and  got  up  and  went  to 
the  window  to  look  and  listen.  If,  in  the  wintry 
moonlight,  any  gaunt,  bare  stalks  put  forth 
miraculous  blossoms  above  the  snow,  or  if 
reverent  cattle  knelt  and  lowed  loving  welcome 


v*i* 


SUSPENSE  219 

to  their  Lord,  my  eyes  and  ears  were  holden 
that  I  did  not  see  and  hear;  but  I  know 
that  it  was  Real  Christmas  in  my  heart  as  I 
turned  back  and  saw  my  child  breathing  quietly 
on  his  bed,  a  faint  color  in  his  pale  cheeks 
again. 

Wednesday. 

Another  visit  from  Blant  to  Nucky  last  night. 
In  reply  to  eager  questions,  Blant  gave  Nucky 
a  very  encouraging  account  of  the  state  of  af- 
fairs on  Trigger.  "Never  seed  things  quieter," 
he  said;  "it  looks  like  your  shot  had  settled  'em 
a  while.  The  talk  now  is  that  Dalt  will  likely 
get  well,  which  I  allow  you  will  grieve  to  hear." 
A  shade  of  heavy  disappointment  immediately 
fell  upon  Nucky's  countenance.  "But,"  contin- 
ued Blant,  "  it  is  good  news  to  me,— I  don't  like 
the  notion  of  your  having  to  start  in  killing  at 
your  age." 

After  we  were  out  on  the  porch,  Blant  re- 
peated to  me,  "Yes,  I  am  proud  to  know  the 


220  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

little  chap  haint  got  blood  on  his  hands  yet 
awhile.  You  may  think  it  quare,  but  it  really 
goes  again'  the  grain  with  me  to  see  a  man  kilt, 
even  when  he  needs  killing." 

"Is  it  true,"  I  questioned  him  as  he  stepped 
out  into  the  snow,  "that  things  are  so  quiet  on 
Trigger?" 

He  smiled  slightly.  "Oh  yes,"  he  said; 
"quiet  enough, — in  fact,  they  are  quiet  as 
death, — not  a  speck  of  trouble  in  plain  sight 
nowhere.  But  I  got  a  bullet  through  my  hat 
Friday  night  as  I  crossed  the  passage  from  the 
kitchen  to  t'other  house,  and  heared  another 
whiz  nigh  while  I  watered  the  nags  yester- 
day evening.  It  all  happens  along  towards 
dark." 

"This  is  horrible,"  I  said. 

"Yes,  it's  low-down.  Folks  ought  to  fight 
in  the  open  if  they  got  any  fighting  to  do." 

"Is  Richard  staying  with  you?" 

"Day  and  night.    I  allow  he's  setting  with 


SUSPENSE  221 

the  babe  this  minute.  All  I'm  afeared  of  is  that 
they  will  shoot  him  in  place  of  me.  But  we 
keep  all  the  windows  blanketed  and  chinks 
stopped  of  a  night." 


XXII 
THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY 

Thursday. 

Ever  since  Philip's  return  he  has  been  scratch- 
ing himself  in  the  most  annoying  manner.  Be- 
fore I  started  for  the  hospital  to-night,  he  came 
into  my  room,  clawing  viciously  at  his  ankles. 
"  Gimme  something  for  the  eech,,,  he  said. 

"For  what?"  I  asked. 

"For  the  eech, — I  knowed  I'd  ketch  it  when 
I  seed  Dewey  Lovel  pawing  round  so  them 
nights  I  spent  with  him." 

"Do  you  mean  the  itch?"  I  inquired,  sharply. 

"No,  I  mean  the  eech, — the  seven-year-eech 
I  reckon  this  is,  by  the  way  it  feels." 

"I  have  no  idea  what  to  do  for  such  a  disease 
as  the  itch!"    I  replied,  helplessly. 

Philip  danced  on  one  foot,  clawing  his  arms 


THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY  223 

Itch', — listen  at  that  now,  boys, — she 
calls  the  eech  the  itch, — don't  know  no  better, — 
ha!  ha!" 

"  What  do  people  do  for  it?"  I  asked. 

"Some  rubs  on  lard-and-sulphur;  and  some 
axle-grease." 

"I'll  ask  the  nurse  for  medicine, — go  along 
now,  please, — dorit  stand  so  near  me!" 

"Get  enough  for  three,"  was  his  parting  re- 
mark, "Taulbee  and  Hose  is  beginning  to 
scratch  too!" 

Yes,  get  enough  for  a  dozen,  he  had  better 
say! 

Saturday,  P.  M. 

This  afternoon  bows  and  spikes  (arrows)  be- 
came violently  the  fashion.  All  the  boys  went 
up  the  mountain  side  to  get  hickory  limbs  for 
bows,  and  arrowwood  for  "spikes".  But  from 
Geordie  alone  can  be  bought  the  horse-shoe 
nails  (Hosea's  before  popgun  time)  which,  when 
hammered  flat  at  the  head,  shaped  around  a 


224  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

nail,  and  then  fitted  on  the  end  of  a  spike,  make 
a  truly  dangerous  and  desirable  weapon.  These 
nails  are  held  at  five  cents  apiece;  but  when  the 
buyer  has  no  money,  as  usually  happens,  the  set 
of  marbles  received  in  his  Christmas  stocking  is 
acceptable.  As  Keats  says,  what  good  are 
"marvles"  anyway,  with  the  ground  either 
snow  or  slush  all  the  time? 

Sunday  Morning. 

My  fears  are  verified.  Every  boy  on  the  place 
is  scratching;  and  I  too  have  an  irresistible  im- 
pulse in  that  direction. 

Sunday  Night. 

All  my  family  in  quarantine  with  the  itch,  and 
I  myself  experiencing  all  the  agonies.  I  think 
it  is  King  James  who  says,  "The  Itch  is  a  disease 
well  worth  the  having,  for  the  satisfaction  af- 
forded by  scratching" ;  but  I  am  forced  to  dissent 
from  the  royal  opinion.  And  the  cure, — the 
being  swathed  for  days  in  lard-and-sulphur — is 
almost  as  bad  as  the  disease.    Worst  of  all  is 


~aa&^ 


THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY  225 

the  thought  that  for  a  week  I  shall  not  see 
Nucky. 

Sunday,  a  week  later. 

The  boys  and  I  were  released  from  quarantine 
to-day,  and  I  ran  to  the  hospital  the  first  thing. 
Nucky  looks  much  better,  and  is  gaining  strength 
at  a  normal  rate.  He  is  much  troubled,  how- 
ever, because  Blant  has  not  been  to  see  him 
again.  "I  know  things  is  wrong  on  Trigger, — I 
am  af eared  Todd  is  at  his  devilment  again,"  he 
said. 

I  left  after  promising  to  spend  the  afternoon 
with  him,  and  went  with  the  other  boys  to 
church.  Geordie  and  Hosea  were  late  dressing, 
and  were  left  to  follow.  What  was  my  aston- 
ishment, when  they  did  walk  in,  to  see  Geordie 
wearing  Hosea's  fine  new  overcoat  he  brought 
from  home  after  Christmas, — a  coat  spun,  dyed, 
woven  and  made  by  his  mother.  Hosea  wore 
the  shiny,  too-large  one  which  we  had  given 
Geordie    from    the    barrels.      During    service 


226  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Geordie,  with  hair  plastered  down  and  eyes 
on  the  ceiling,  sang  hymns  more  loudly  than 
ever. 

"Why  do  you  wear  Hosea's  overcoat? "  I  de- 
manded, as  soon  as  we  were  out  in  the  road. 

"Him  and  me's  swapped,"  he  replied,  care- 
fully avoiding  the  word  "traded";  "I  never 
wanted  to  do  it,  did  I,  Hose?" 

"Why  was  it  done,  then, — you  seem  to  have 
decidedly  the  best  of  the  bargain." 

"You  haint  seed  the  boot  he  got,"  replied 
Geordie,  calmly.  "Show  her  that  'ere  watch 
and  chain,  Hose." 

Hosea  drew  from  his  pocket  a  battered  nickel 
watch,  which  Geordie  held  toward  me  with  the 
air  of  a  connoisseur.  "That  'ere's  a  three- 
dollar-and-ninety-five-cent  watch,"  he  said;  "I 
got  it  a-Christmas  on  Bald  Eagle,  off  of  Johnny 
Miles,  that  just  come  home  from  the  Peniten- 
tiary." 

"Did  you  pay  him  that  much  for  it?" 


m. 


THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY  227 

"No'm, — he  was  offering  it  around  for  that, — 
I  got  it  a  little-grain  cheaper." 

"How  much  cheaper?" 

"Well,  I  paid  him  forty  cents  spot-cash  for 
it, — he  was  a-needing  money." 

"And  you  call  that  a  fair  trade, — your  old 
worn  coat  and  a  forty-cent  watch  for  his  nice 
new  coat  his  mother  made?" 

"  It's  a  three-dollar-and-ninety-five-cent 
watch,  Miss  Loring,"  Geordie  repeated,  pa- 
tiently: "And,  been  in  the  Penitentiary!" 

This  failing  to  enhance  its  value  in  my  eyes, 
he  added,  "And  that  haint  all, — just  cast  your 
eye  on  that  chain!" 

The  chain  was  a  flimsy  affair  of  two  brass 
wires,  on  which  were  strung  at  intervals  three 
battered  objects  which  I  at  last  recognized  as 
dice.  "Them  'ere,"  said  Geordie  impressively, 
"is  able  to  make  a  living  for  a  man  all  by  their- 
selves.  I  seed  Johnny  Miles  make  a  dollar'n'  a 
quarter  in  five  minutes,  a-flingin'  'em.     And 


228  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

when  Hose  heared  about  it,  he  said  he  were 
bound  to  have  'em.  And  thaint  nary  nother 
boy  on  Perilous  I'd  a-/e/  have  'em;  but  Hose  he's 
such  a  good  boy,  and  so  peaceable,  and  never 
does  no  meanness,  and  alius  minds  you,  and 
knows  his  books,  and  gits  up  in  time  of  a  morn- 
ing, I  felt  like  I  ought  to  prosper  him  if  I  could. 
So  I  told  him  all  right,  to  take  them  dice 
and  buy  him  a  hundred  overcoats  if  he 
wanted!" 

"  How  did  you  come  to  part  with  them  if  they 
are  so  valuable?" 

"Oh,  I  got  t'other  set  Johnny  sold  me,"  re- 
plied Geordie,  comfortably,  "I  aim  to  quit 
trading  now,  like  you  want, — yes,  I  give  you  my 
hand  I  haint  going  to  trade  nary  nother  time! 
And  I  writ  maw  last  night  I  seed  my  way  clear 
now  to  come  to  Virginia  this  summer,  and  see 
her  and  the  world,  and  ride  on  the  railroad 
train!" 

These  rosy  anticipations  were  cruelly  shat- 


THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY  229 

tered.  "Give  me  those  dice  at  once,"  I  said, 
"You  and  Hosea  may  not  know  that  throwing 
dice  is  gambling,  and  that  gambling  of  any  kind 
is  strictly  forbidden  in  this  school.  Trade 
back  those  overcoats  at  once.  And  never  again 
let  me  hear  of  your  associating  with  Johnny 
Miles!" 

Wednesday. 

Terrible  news  indeed  from  Trigger.  On  my 
way  to  the  garden  after  school  this  afternoon,  I 
saw  all  the  boys  running  toward  the  front  fence, 
where  a  man  on  a  nag  was  talking  and  gesticulat- 
ing. I  recognized  Blanks  neighbor  Saxby,  who 
had  brought  bad  news  before.  When  I  reached 
the  fence  he  began  his  tale  all  over  again. 

During  the  two  weeks  since  Blanks  last 
visit  here,  it  appears  that  Todd  Cheever  has 
continued  to  haunt  the  Marrs  premises  at  night, 
lurking  in  dark  places,  and  making  further 
attempts  to  shoot  Blant.  The  strain  of  the 
constant  watchfulness  has  been  great  for  both 


230  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Blant  and  Rich, — indeed,  the  feeling  that  one  is 
being  watched  from  the  darkness  by  the  eyes  of 
hate  is  probably  the  most  terrible  one  a  human 
being  can  know. 

Blant's  nervousness  has  been  augmented  by 
the  fact  that  for  three  days  handrunning  he  has 
had  visions  which  have  filled  him  with  fear  for 
Rich.  Monday  while  they  were  together 
"snaking"  logs  down  the  mountain  side,  he 
suddenly  saw  Rich  standing  beside  him  head- 
less,— a  second  glance  showed  him  Rich  fasten- 
ing a  log-chain  thirty  feet  distant.  Tuesday 
morning  he  beheld  the  headless  shade  at  his 
elbow,  while  Rich  was  on  the  far  side  of  a 
fodder-stack  from  him;  and  about  noon,  the 
same  dreadful  apparition  started  up  beside 
him  as  he  lifted  a  skillet  of  meat  from  the  fire, 
Rich  being  at  the  time  on  his  way  to  catch  a 
brief  glimpse  of  his  people  at  home.  Blant  was 
in  an  agony  until  Rich  returned  safely  about 
four  o'clock;  then  he  told  him  of  the  warnings  he 


THE  EECH,  AND   TRAGEDY  231 

had  had,  and  implored  him  to  be  exceedingly 
wary  and  careful,  Rich  being  quite  amused  at 
his  earnestness. 

After  supper  they  were  all  gathered  as  usual 
about  the  fire,  Blant  holding  the  babe,  when 
there  was  a  halloo  from  the  road.  "Don't  pay 
no  attention  to  it,"  said  Rich,  "it's  likely  Todd, 
trying  to  tole  you  out."  But  the  call  sounded 
again,  in  an  unmistakably  strange  voice,  and, 
handing  the  babe  to  his  father,  Blant  started 
for  the  door.  Rich  sprang  ahead  of  him.  "If 
anybody  goes,  it'll  be  me,"  he  said.  Blant 
forcibly  put  him  back.  "You  don't  set  foot 
outside  this  house  to-night,"  he  declared,  "not 
after  the  visions  I  have  seed."  Then,  taking 
his  forty-five  from  his  pocket,  he  passed  out  of 
the  door  and  into  the  open  passageway. 

"  I  want  to  inquire  how  much  further  on  it  is 
to  Billy  Marrs's,"  called  the  strange  voice  from 
the  road. 

"Something   over   a   mile,"   replied   Blant. 


232  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

At  the  same  instant,  as  Blant  had  probably 
anticipated,  a  man  dashed  into  the  passage 
from  the  rear,  firing,  closely  followed  by  a 
second,  also  firing.  Conjecturing  at  once  that 
Todd  had  hired  some  stranger  to  call  him  out, 
in  order  that  he  and  a  confederate  might  attack 
him,  Blant  took  instant  deadly  aim  at  both  the 
men.  The  first — Todd — fell  face  forward  into 
the  light  from  the  doorway;  the  second,  with  the 
cry,  "It's  me,  Slant,"  also  staggered  forward  a 
few  steps,  and  Blant  caught  the  dying  Rich  in 
his  arms.  Guessing  Todd's  whereabouts,  Rich, 
disobeying  commands,  had  jumped  from  the 
window  to  attack  him  from  the  rear,  and  had 
thoughtlessly  exposed  himself  to  Blant's  deadly 
aim. 

Saxby  said  that  Blant,  in  an  agony,  had  lifted 
his  friend,  dashed  water  over  him,  worked  for 
hours  to  restore  him,  refused  to  admit  that  he 
could  be  dead;  and  finally,  when  compelled  to 
abandon  hope,  had  laid  the  revolver  to  his  own 


Blant  caught  the  dying  Rich  in  his  arms. 
233 


234  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

temple  and  fired,  his  father  knocking  it  up  in 
time  to  produce  only  a  scalp  wound,  and  Saxby 
and  others  who  had  come  in  overpowering  him 
and  taking  it  from  him  before  he  could  fire 
again.  They  stood  guard  over  him  the  rest  of 
the  night,  while  he  raved  over  Rich's  body. 
"Never  did  I  see  the  likes  of  the  love  of  them 
two  boys,"  said  Saxby,  with  tears  in  his  eyes. 
"And  Blant  in  gineral  so  quiet, — nobody'd  a- 
dreamed  he  could  keer  so  deep." 

Then,  with  the  coming  of  daylight,  Blant  had 
called  for  his  nag  and  had  announced  his  deter- 
mination to  give  himself  up  to  the  sheriff. 
"Since  I  haint  permitted  to  kill  myself,  the  law 
must  kill  me,"  he  had  declared,  "for  this  misery 
is  more  than  I  can  endure  and  live."  In  vain  all 
tried  to  dissuade  him;  he  was  adamant.  "  So  the 
whole  passel  of  us  come  over  with  him,"  said 
Saxby.  "Him  and  t'others  stopped  up  here  at 
the  sheriff's,  but  I  come  ahead  to  fetch  the  news 
to  the  little  Marrs  chap." 


THE  EECH,  AND  TRAGEDY  235 

"Never!"  I  said,  "it  might  kill  him,  now. 
He  must  not  know  a  word  of  it." 

"I  allowed  it  might  holp  him  up  some  to  hear 
Todd  was  safe  dead/'  he  apologized. 

"He  must  hear  no  thing/ '  I  said. 

Fifteen  minutes  later,  a  sad  cavalcade  came 
down  the  road.  There  were  a  dozen  or  more 
men,  and  last  of  all,  between  the  sheriff  and 
deputy,  rode  Blant,  his  face  rigid  with  misery 
and  horror.  Pale,  deathlike,  unseeing,  he  rode. 
When  I  ran  out  in  the  road  to  give  him  a  word  of 
sympathy  he  looked  straight  through  me,  never 
seeing  me.  My  boys  and  a  gathering  crowd 
followed  in  awed  silence  to  the  jail. 


XXIII 
DESPAIR,  AND  BUDDING  ROMANCE 

Thursday  Evening. 

I  went  to  the  jail  to  see  Blant  this  morning, — 
but  was  almost  sorry  that  I  did  so.  He  sits 
there  in  his  cell,  speechless,  despairing,  refusing 
food  or  rest,  hearing  and  seeing  nothing.  In 
vain  the  jail-keeper  and  I  attempted  to  talk  to 
him  and  tell  him  he  must  not  reproach  himself 
so  bitterly,  or  give  way  to  such  utter  despair, 
since  he  was  in  no  way  to  blame  for  the  death 
of  his  friend.  He  looked  agonizingly  beyond 
us,  evidently  not  conscious  that  we  were  talk- 
ing. 

The  worst  of  it  is  that  circuit  court  will  not 

sit  here  again  until  early  April, — two  and  a 

half  months,  and  his  suffering  must  be  cruelly 

protracted. 

236 


DESPAIR,  AND   BUDDING  ROMANCE     237 

After  this  visit  it  was  almost  impossible  for 
me  to  go  in  and  talk  and  read  cheerfully  to 
Nucky,  and  make  plausible  excuses  for  Blant's 
non-appearance,  which  is  worrying  him  a  great 
deal. 

"I  had  news  from  Trigger  yesterday/'  I  told 
him,  "Todd  has  gone  away,  so  there  will  prob- 
ably be  peace  for  a  long  while." 

"Where  has  he  gone  to?"  he  asked. 

"I  am  unable  to  say,"  I  replied. 

Monday, 

Blant  continues  to  refuse  all  food,  and  to 
maintain  his  terrible  silence.  He  sits  with  his 
head  in  his  hands  all  day  long,  oblivious  of 
everything  around  him.  The  kind-hearted 
keeper  stays  in  his  cell  with  him  at  night.  "I 
know  he  haint  in  no  fix  to  stand  lonesomeness," 
he  said  to  me  to-day;  "even  if  he  don't  pay  no 
attention  to  me,  I  allow  it's  some  comfort  to  him 
to  have  a  human  nigh."  Then  he  added,  "  If  he 
haint  able  to  speak  out  his  grief  before  long,  it's 


238  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

liable  to  strike  in  and  kill  him.     Something 
ought  to  be  done  to  rouse  him.', 

"What?"    I  asked. 

"Oh,  I  don't  rightly  know.  But  he's  turnt 
loose  all  holts  on  life;  something  to  grapple  him 
to  it  again  is  needed." 

Knowing  their  love  for  each  other,  my  first 
thought  of  course  was  to  bring  Nucky;  but  the 
terrible  story  could  have  only  disastrous  effects 
upon  him  at  present,  so  that  is  not  to  be  con- 
sidered. 

Thursday. 

The  mail-carrier  stopped  at  the  gate  yesterday 
to  say,  "I  hear  tell  that  Blant  haint  toch  a 
morsel  of  vittles  sence  he  shot  Rich.  Neither 
has  the  babe,  sence  he  left  it,  to  speak  of, — the 
pore  little  creetur  just  whimps  and  pines  for  him 
continual,  and  won't  scacely  tech  the  food  its 
pap  gives  it.  Minervy  Saxby's  been  over  trying 
to  peaceify  it, — but  in  vain.  It  was  alius  purely 
silly  about  Blant,  allowing  he's  its  maw.    When 


DESPAIR,  AND  BUDDING  ROMANCE     239 

a  babe  gits  its  mind  sot  thataway  on  a  proposi- 
tion, there  haint  no  help  for  it  but  to  give  it 
what  it  craves.  It's  likely  to  pine  away  if  you 
don't." 

I  did  not  tell  Blant  of  this  when  I  stopped  by 
the  jail  this  afternoon, — I  hope  it  will  not  reach 
him,  as  it  could  only  add  to  his  misery.  I  was 
thankful  when  I  arrived  to  find  him  out  in  the 
common  room,  where  all  the  prisoners  stay  dur- 
ing the  day,  even  though  he  sat  in  a  corner  and 
did  not  seem  to  see  the  others. 

The  keeper  followed  me  out  again,  and  talked 
a  while  on  the  steps.  "I  got  Blant  started  on 
a  few  vittles  to-day,  after  nine  days  of  starving," 
he  said.  "The  way  I  done  it  was  to  make  out 
I  thought  he  was  trying  to  cheat  the  gallows. 
Then  he  called  for  meat  and  bread.  'Pears 
like  the  gallows  is  the  onliest  prospect  he  is 
able  to  take  any  comfort  in,  and  I  hold  it  before 
him  constant,  to  sort  of  keep  his  sperrits  up. 
Though   God  knows  I'm  a-acting  the  black 


240  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

hypocrite  when  I  do  it,  when  there  haint  the 
least  grain  of  a  show  for  him  to  get  a  death 
sentence.  There's  a  strong  prejudyce  again' 
hanging  in  this  country, — not  a  jury  ever  set  in 
this  court-house  that  pronounced  a  death 
sentence, — Blant  would  a-knowed  it  if  he  had 
stopped  to  think.  But  even  if  the  prejudyce 
didn't  exist,  why  Blaint  haint  done  nothing  to 
earn  the  gallows, — you  might  say  he  haint  done 
anything  for  the  law  to  take  hold  of.  Of  course 
everybody  knows  his  shooting  of  Rich  was  the 
worst  kind  of  accident;  and  as  for  the  Cheevers 
he  has  killed  and  maimed,  why,  that  war  is 
really  a  family  affair,  which  the  law  haint  got  no 
business  to  meddle  with.  Public  sentiment  is 
again'  the  law  mixing  up  in  affairs  like  that,  and 
that's  the  reason  why  no  great  effort  haint  been 
made  to  arrest  Blant  before  now.  Folks  has 
knowed  he  meant  well,  and  was  hard  placed, 
and  let  it  go  at  that.  Now  he's  throwed  hisself 
into  the  very  jaws  of  the  law,  however,  it  may 


DESPAIR,  AND   BUDDING  ROMANCE     241 

feel  compelled  to  do  something;  but  of  course  it 
won't  be  nothing  like  no  death  sentence.  But 
I  haven't  got  the  heart  to  tell  him  so, — no,  I 
really  have  not, — I  believe  he  would  dash  his 
brains  out  again'  the  wall  if  I  did." 

Nucky  was  more  insistent  this  afternoon  when 
I  read  to  him  (he  is  sitting  up  now  and  begins 
to  look  like  himself).  "I  know  pine-blank 
something  is  wrong  on  Trigger,  or  Blant  would 
have  been  here,"  he  said,  anxiously. 

"Nothing  is  wrong  there,  except  that  the  babe 
is  ailing,"  I  said,  "the  mail-carrier  told  me 
yesterday  she  was  far  from  well." 

First  Sunday,  February. 

I  should  be  quite  weighed  down  by  the  Marrs 
troubles  if  it  were  not  for  the  cheerful  society  of 
the  boys,  whose  lively  and  funny  doings  afford 
some  escape  from  tragic  and  depressing  thoughts. 
This  morning  before  church,  when  I  was  making 
the  usual  round  of  the  ears  with  soap  and  wash- 
rag,  to  my  utter  amazement  I  found  Philip's 


242  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

clean,  inside  and  out,  behind  and  before.  At 
first  stricken  dumb  by  the  discovery — for  I 
long  since  abandoned  the  hope  of  reforming  him 
in  the  matters  of  chivalry  and  cleanliness — I 
finally  inquired  what  was  the  matter. 

"Nothing,  I  just  kep'  a-digging,"  was  his 
careless  reply. 

To-night,  however,  when  everybody  was 
undressing,  Hen  slid  noiselessly  into  my  room, 
mysteriously  shutting  the  door  behind  him. 
Half  clothed,  I  dived  into  my  closet,  soon 
emerging  in  my  wrapper.  Hen  himself  was 
in  trousers  and  undershirt,  with  dangling 
gallusses.  Planting  himself  on  the  hearth,  back 
to  the  fire,  he  held  up  first  one  bare  foot,  then 
the  other,  to  the  blaze,  and  at  last  spoke  in  a 
confidential  tone: 

"Philip  lied  to  you  this  morning  when  he  said 
there  wa'n't  nothing  the  matter  with  him.  He 
knows  what  made  him  wash  his  years,  and  / 
know." 


DESPAIR,  AND  BUDDING  ROMANCE     243 

"What  was  it?"  I  inquired,  drawing  up  the 
rocker. 

"He's  a-courting,  that's  what's  the  matter." 

"Courting!"    I    exclaimed,    incredulously. 

"Yes,  courting,  by  grab!  You  mind  Dilsey 
Warrick,  that  'ere  little  tow-head  come  in  atter 
Christmas,  from  over  on  Wace?" 

Yes,  I  remembered  Dilsey, — a  demure  dove 
of  a  child,  in  blue  home-spun  dress  and  red  yarn 
stockings,  with  long,  fair  hair  hanging  in  two 
plaits,  and  the  face  of  an  austere  little  saint. 
She  is  at  least  three  years  older  and  a  head  taller 
than  Hen,  but  it  pleases  him  to  speak  of  the 
sex  in  diminutives. 

"You  know  I  pack  water  to  the  big  house  of 
a  morning  before  breakfast,"  he  continued; 
"well,  Dilsey  she  sweeps  off  the  front  porch 
over  yander  then,  and  Philip  he  goes  round  and 
mends  the  fence  where  the  hogs  breaks  in  of  a 
night." 

I  groaned  an  assent, — the  neighborhood  hogs 


244  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

are  badly  on  the  rampage,  after  our  mustard- 
and  turnip-greens,  which  show  temptingly  when 
the  snow  melts;  and  the  fence  is  so  frail  it  gives 
way  constantly  to  their  assaults. 

"Well,"  proceeded  Hen,  "that's  as  good  a 
chanct  as  he  wants,  when  thaint  nobody  much 
around  but  me.  But  I  keep  my  eye  on  him, — I 
tip  round  the  corner  of  the  house  right  easy, 
and  come  up  on  'em  unexpected." 

"You  are  certainly  mistaken  about  Philip," 
I  said  decidedly,  "why,  he  despises  girls,  has  no 
earthly  use  for  them,  in  fact." 

"Dag  gone  me,  he's  got  use  enough  for  little 
Dilsey,  by  Ned!  Gee,  I  never  see  the  beat!  He 
sot  in  a-courting  her  the  day  he  got  out  from 
eech,  and  haint  stopped  to  ketch  his  breath 
sence.  Dad  swinge  my  hide  if  that  'ere  boy 
haint  been  nailing  planks  on  that  front  fence 
with  lee-tle-bitty  fourpenny  nails,  so's  the 
hogs'll  root  'em  of!  sure  every  night,  and  he'll  git 
to  work* there  and  talk  to  Dilsey  of  a  morning! 


Dag  gone  me,  he's  got  use  enough  for  little  Dilsey,  by 
Ned!"' 


245 


246  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

I  been  keeping  my  eye  peeled  for  him  ever  sence 
I  seed  him  give  her  a'  apple  one  day  at  recess, — 
I  knowed  then  something  had  happened  to 
,him!" 

I  sat  speechless. 

"But  what  made  him  wash  his  years,"  con- 
tinued Hen,  with  lowered  voice  and  another 
glance  at  the  door;  "one  morning  whilst  Dilsey 
was  a-sweeping,  here  come  Philip  along,  a- 
swinging  his  hammer  and  nail-box.  He  put  his 
hand  in  his  pocket  and  pult  out  a  candy  cane 
I  had  seed  him  a-eating  on  the  night  before, — 
one  of  these-here  they  f otch  on  at  the  store  for 
Christmas — and  poked  it  at  Dilsey.  'Have 
some/  he  says,  'eat  it  all,  if  you  want/  Dilsey 
she  put  out  her  hand  for  it,  and  then  she  tuck  a 
hard  look  at  it,  and  then  at  Philip,  and  says  she's 
obleeged,  but  she  don't  believe  she  wants  any. 
Philip  he  shoved  it  ag'in'  her  face.  'Don't  be 
af eared,'  he  says,  'I'd  ruther  you'd  have  it  as 
anybody'.    Little  Dilse  she  said  no  thanks,  she 


DESPAIR,  AND   BUDDING  ROMANCE     247 

wouldn't  choose  any  (dag  gone  if  she  haint  the 
ladyest  girl  ever  I  heared  talk!) ;  and  Philip  axed 
her  what's  the  reason.  But  she  just  kep' 
a-sweeping,  and  wouldn't  open  her  mouth. 
Then  Philip  he  grabbed  her  by  the  shoulder, 
and  says,  by  Heck,  she's  got  to  tell.  And  Dilse 
she  shuck  him  off  proud-like,  and  says, '  Well,  if 
you  bound  to  hear  it,  I  don't  crave  to  eat  atter 
no  boy  that  don't  never  wash  his  years! '  Then 
Philip  he  was  b'iling  (dad  burn  if  I'd  take  any 
such  talk  from  any  woman!),  and  he  says,  'I  bet 
they  clean  as  yourn!';  and  Dilsey  she  frowned 
and  spoke  up  solemn, '  I'd  have  you  know,  Mister 
Philip  Floyd,  my  years  gits  washed  every  day 
I  live!',  and  made  for  the  door.  And  Philip  he 
seed  me  behind  the  post  and  give  me  as  much 
candy  cane  as  I  could  bite  off  not  to  tell  nobody 
what  she  said  to  him.  And  for  two  days  he 
sulled,  and  never  come  anigh  her  mornings,  and 
mended  the  back  fence.  Then  when  his  bath 
night  come,  he  turnt  in  and  pintly  scrubbed  the 


248  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

hide  off  his  years,  in  and  out,  and  went  back  to 
mending  the  front  fence  next  morning;  and  him 
and  Dilse  made  up;  and  he  alius  gives  her  new 
sticks  of  candy  now;  and  don't  you  never  let  on 
I  told  you,  less'n  you  want  to  see  me  kilt!" 


XXIV 

THE  BABE 

Monday. 
On  my  way  to  the  hospital  this  morning,  I 
stopped  at  the  weaving-house  to  see  more  of 
the  little  girl  who  can  work  such  wonders  with 
Philip.  After  careful  scrutiny  of,  and  conver- 
sation with  the  pretty,  dignified  child  at  the 
loom,  I  understood  something  of  her  power. 
She  has  the  look  of  the  ideal  woman,  suggesting 
many  beautiful  and  elusive  things,  and  judging 
from  her  perfect  manners,  might  have  been 
reared  in  marble  halls  instead  of  in  a  two-room 
log  house  on  the  head  of  Wace.  She  has  dis- 
tinctly the  look  of  race, — and  her  name,  how  it 
carries  one  back  through  centuries  of  English 
history!       If    the    magnificent    earl,    "proud 

setter-up   and  plucker-down  of  kings"  were 
249 


250  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

himself  her  ancestor,  he  could  feel  nothing  but 
pride  in  this  fair  little  shoot  of  his  noble  tree. 

Before  I  went  into  the  jail  to  see  Blant  after 
dinner,  the  keeper  told  me  of  a  touching  and 
remarkable  thing.  Old  Mrs.  Tarrant,  Rich's 
mother,  rode  over  yesterday  to  tell  Blant  that, 
although  he  had  darkened  the  light  of  the  sun- 
ball  for  her,  she  freely  forgave  him,  and  hoped 
he  would  forgive  himself, — that  she  knew  this 
would  be  Rich's  message  to  him  if  he  could 
speak.  Her  words  should  have  comforted  him 
some;  and  when  I  went  in,  it  seemed  to  me  that 
his  face,  though  infinitely  sad,  was  more  at 
peace. 

Tuesday. 

The  nurse  told  me  this  morning  that  Nucky 
would  be  permitted  to  leave  the  hospital  and  re- 
turn to  the  cottage  to-night;  and  I  realized  that 
the  time  had  come  when  I  could  no  longer  keep 
from  him  the  sad  occurrences  on  Trigger.  So 
after  dinner,  taking  his  hands  in  mine,  I  told 


THE  BABE  251 

him  the  dreadful  tale.  He  heard  it  with  a  white 
face,  expressing  neither  joy  over  Todd's  death, 
nor  sorrow  over  Rich's  (these  Marrses  seem  to, 
have  abnormal  powers  of  emotional  repression), 
and  only  said,  "I'll  go  right  down  to  Blant." 

"Yes,  do,"  I  said,  "the  sight  of  you  may  be 
just  what  he  needs." 

On  his  return  to  the  cottage  after  supper, 
"Trojan"  was  loudly  and  joyfully  welcomed  by 
the  other  boys;  but  grief  and  anxiety  were 
plainly  written  on  his  face,  he  had  little  to  say, 
and  seemed  much  older. 

Friday. 

At  noon  yesterday  Philip  came  in  clamoring 
for  a  patch  for  his  elbow, — formerly  he  would 
have  died  rather  than  sew  on  a  patch.  I  was  not 
surprised  to  hear  from  Hen  later  that  he  "had 
heared  Dilsey  tell  Philip  at  recess  she  couldn't 
abide  raggeddy  boys  ".  And  this  morning  when 
Philip  burst  into  my  room  with  the  demand, 
"  Gimme  a  latch-pin",  and  after  some  pondering 


252  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

I  handed  him  out  a  safety-pin,  with  which  he 
proceeded  to  join  together  his  sundered  gal- 
lusses  and  trousers,  Hen,  who  was  making  my 
bed,  contributed,  "She  tolt  him  before  break- 
fast she  never  had  no  respects  for  folks  that 
went  about  with  their  clothes  a-drapping  off 
'em!" 

Oh  that  all  my  twelve  would  fall  in  love! 

Monday. 

This  morning,  after  a  brief  reign,  bows  and 
spikes  went  out,  and  "  stilks  "  came  in.  Geordie, 
who  now  has  the  stable-job,  had  a  number  of 
superior  dogwood  limbs  laid  away  under  the 
gear-room,  ready  to  be  sold.  Looking  back,  I 
realize  that,  with  the  exception  of  the  old 
stand-by,  shinny,  not  a  single  game  has  come 
in  during  the  term  without  his  connivance.  In- 
deed, the  born  trader's  ability  in  supplying  a 
demand  is  exceeded  only  by  his  genius  in  creat- 
ing it. 

Every  day  Nucky  goes  down  to  see  Blant, 


THE  BABE  253 

always  returning  sad,  thoughtful  and  troubled. 
"Tears  like  he  haint  able  to  take  no  more 
interest  in  nothing,  now  Rich  is  gone,"  he  said 
to  me  last  night;  "when  he  talks  he  don't  say 
nothing  but  'I  have  killed  the  friend  of  my 
bosom, — my  heart  is  broke, — I  can't  stand  to 
live  no  longer.' " 

Wednesday. 

I  stopped  the  mail-boy  again  to-day,  for  news 
of  the  Marrs  family.  "Things  is  going  mighty 
bad,"  he  said.  "The  babe  is  pindling  scandlous, 
and  its  paw  is  wore  to  a  frazzle  tending  it  of 
nights,  and  cooking,  and  troubling  in  his  mind. 
Minervy  Saxby  allows  if  Blant  don't  git  back  to 
that  'ere  babe,  it'll  purely  pine  to  death." 

Nucky  came  out  as  we  talked,  and  heard  the 
boy's  account.  He  said  to  me  immediately,  "I 
want  to  go  home  Friday." 

"You  are  not  strong  enough  for  the  walk," 
I  said. 

"I've  got  to  go,"  he  declared. 


254  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Saturday  Night. 

Nucky  went  home  yesterday;  and  shortly 
after  noon  to-day  I  was  surprised  to  see  him  ride 
down  the  road  in  front  of  the  cottage,  with  a 
small  bundle  held  on  one  arm.  I  called  to  him 
in  surprise,  and  he  halted.  "It's  the  babe, — I 
brung  it  to  see  Blant,"  he  said. 

He  unwrapped  the  blanket  from  the  baby's 
head,  and  the  poor  little  creature  looked  down 
at  me  with  such  big,  sad  eyes  out  of  a  tiny  white 
face,  that  my  heart  was  wrung  within  me. 

I  went  on  down  to  the  jail  with  them.  The 
keeper  ushered  us  into  the  large  room  where 
Blant  sat  with  the  other  prisoners  (most  of  them 
nice  boys,  in  only  for  moonshining,  or  for  cele- 
brating Christmas  too  enthusiastically) ;  but  he 
sat  in  a  corner  alone,  while  they  played  cards 
around  a  table. 

T^ucky  went  toward  Blant  with  his  bundle. 
"  'Pears  like  the  babe  will  pine  to  death  for  you, 
Blant,"  he  said,  "so  I  brung  her  over."     He 


THE  BABE  255 

opened  the  blanket,  and  with  one  ecstatic  cry 
out  of  utmost  depths  of  suffering,  the  little 
creature  sprang  forward,  and  buried  her  head 
in  Blant's  bosom. 

Blant  held  her  close,  laid  his  head  upon  hers, 
and  burst  into  a  terrible  storm  of  weeping,  a 
storm  that  swept  everything,  and  all  of  us,  be- 
fore it.  Nucky  and  I  wept  together,  the  keeper 
stood  with  tears  streaming  down  his  cheeks,  the 
card-playing  boys,  noisy  and  careless  a  moment 
before,  to  a  man  laid  their  heads  on  the  table  and 
wept.  I  am  sure  that  before  that  tempest  of 
emotion  was  over,  it  must  have  washed  from 
Blanks  heart  some  of  its  awful  burden. 

I  slipped  out  and  ran  to  the  hospital  for  a 
nursing  bottle  and  some  milk,  that  Blant  might 
feed  the  poor  little  starving  babe.  Oh  how 
bright,  how  joyous,  how  pitiable,  was  the  smile 
upon  her  tiny,  pinched  face  as  she  laid  aside  her 
bottle  repeatedly  to  assure  herself  by  touch  and 
sight  that  Blant  still  held  her. 


256  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Late  in  the  afternoon,  when  I  begged  to  keep 
the  babe  during  the  night,  Blant  shook  his 
head,  and  clasped  her  more  strongly  to  his  heart. 

Sunday  Night. 

When  Nucky  and  I  stopped  at  the  jail  after 
church  to-day,  the  keeper  told  us  Blant  had  sat 
up  all  night  with  the  babe  in  his  arms.  "  'Peared 
like  he  couldn't  part  with  her  a'  instant,"  he 
said;  "I  allow  if  anything  can  splice  him  on  to 
life  again,  it  will  be  her." 

This  raised  my  hopes.  I  saw  now  that  Nucky 
had  brought  her  for  a  double  reason. 

"May  she  stay  here  with  him  a  while?"  I 
asked. 

"  Certainly,"  he  said; "  of  course  it's  again'  the 
rules;  but  what's  rules  when  a  pore  little  inno- 
cent babe  is  pining  to  death?" 

But  when  we  spoke  to  Blant,  our  hopes  were 
dashed  to  the  ground.  He  said  sternly,  "No, 
it  can't  be, — Nucky  never  ought  to  have  brung 
her, — she  must  be  took  back  immediate.    In  a 


THE  BABE  257 

little  while  more  she'd  have  forgot  me, — little 
young  things  like  that  can't  have  no  very  long 
recollections.  Now,  God  help  her,  she'll  have 
to  start  all  over  again.  But  it  has  to  be, — it 
would  be  pure  cruelty  to  keep  her  here  and  get 
her  all  wropped  up  in  me  again,  only  to  face 
a'  eternal  parting." 

The  keeper  pondered  silently  for  quite  a  while; 
then  he  spoke  up,  firmly.  "Blant,"  he  said,  "I 
got  a  confession  to  make  to  you,  and  pardon  to 
ax  of  you,  for  what  I  have  done.  In  the  pity 
and  tenderness  of  my  heart,  I  have  lied  to  you, 
and  led  you  on  to  hope  for  a  death  sentence, 
when  God  knows  there  haint  the  ghost  of  a  show 
you'll  git  one.  In  the  first  place,  if  you'll  ricol- 
lect,  there's  a  powerful  prejudyce  again'  hang- 
ing in  this  country;  in  the  next,  I  am  sorry  to 
tell  you  you  haint  done  nothing  to  really  earn 
the  gallows.  Everybody  knows  how  it  was  be- 
twixt you  and  Rich;  and  as  for  Todd  and  El- 
hannon  and  Ben  and  Jeems  that  you  kilt,  and 


258  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

t'other  Cheevers  you  wounded,  why,  that  war 
is  a  family  affair,  in  which  the  law  haint  got  no 
particular  call,  or  no  great  desire,  to  meddle, 
and  wouldn't  if  you  hadn't  a-throwed  yourself 
spang  in  its  arms  thisaway.  As  it  is,  you  have 
put  it  in  a  mighty  embarrassing  position,  and,  as 
you  might  say,  forced  it  to  set  up  and  take  no- 
tice, and  probably  some  kind  of  action, — it  may 
be  a  couple  of  year'  sentence  to  Frankfort,  or 
some  such,  but  certainly  there  haint  a-going  to 
be  no  hanging  business.  I  hate  to  disapp'int 
your  hopes  of  dying, — I  know  you  don't  take 
no  easement  or  comfort  in  nothing  else.  But 
truth  is  truth.  Now  my  advice  to  you  is,  be 
sensible,  brace  up,  take  some  comfort,  keep  the 
babe  here  with  you  and  git  yourself  sort  of  tied 
on  to  life  again." 

Blant's  answer  was  angry  and  indignant. 
"May  the  earth  open  and  swallow  me  before 
I  take  cheer  or  comfort  in  this  world  from  which 
I  have  sent  the  friend  of  my  bosom,  my  more 


THE  BABE  259 

than  brother!  Till  I  have  to,  I  haint  going  to 
give  up  the  hope  of  laying  down  my  life  for  his. 
If  you  lied  to  me  once,  you  may  be  lying  to  me 
again.    Take  her,  Nucky!" 

He  attempted  to  hand  over  the  babe  to 
Nucky;  but  it  was  not  so  easily  accomplished. 
The  process  of  separating  her  from  him  was 
such  a  painful  one  that  he  himself  was  almost 
unmanned,  and  again  there  was  not  a  dry  eye  in 
the  jail. 


XXV 

CHANGE  AND   GROWTH 

Monday  Night. 
Mid-February. 

It  is  six  weeks  since  the  roads  became  im- 
passable for  wagons,  and  already  we  begin  to 
feel  some  of  the  effects  of  the  isolation.  Flour, 
sugar  and  coffee  have  to  be  very  sparingly  used. 
Of  course  there  is  plenty  of  corn-meal,  beans, 
middling  and  sorghum,  so  there  is  no  danger  of 
starvation. 

When  Nucky  returned  this  evening  from  tak- 
ing the  babe  home,  he  came  into  my  room,  and 
threw  himself  on  the  floor.  Presently  I  saw  that 
his  body  was  shaken  with  silent  sobs.  To  my 
entreaties  he  at  last  replied, 

"Things  is  terrible  there  at  home, — paw  is  all 

wore-out  with  the  trouble,  and  all  Blant's  jobs 
260 


CHANGE  AND   GROWTH  261 

he  has  to  tend  to,  like  cooking  and  minding  the 
babe  of  nights,  and  he  couldn't  get  along  at  all 
if  Uncle  Billy's  boys  didn't  come  down  and  chop 
wood,  and  feed  the  animals,  and  such.  I  ought 
to  be  home  now  tending  to  things  for  him;  and 
I'll  have  to  give  up  learning  and  go  when  crap- 
time  comes.  Blant  never  ought  to  have  give 
hisself  up, — he  ought  to  have  thought  about  his 
family,  and  not  lost  his  head  that  way.  They'll 
sure  send  him  to  Frankfort  on  his  trial, — I 
heared  some  talk  about  it  last  week." 

Indeed,  it  is  a  pitiable  situation,  and  will  be 
far  more  so  if  Blant  is  sent  to  the  penitentiary. 
The  thought  hangs  a  new  weight  of  dread  upon 
me, — of  course  then  Nucky  will  have  to  leave 
school  and  go  home  and  take  up  Blant's  bur- 
dens. My  own  selfish  grief  in  the  thought  of 
losing  Nucky  ought  not  to  protrude  itself  in  the 
face  of  greater  troubles, — but  I  have  already 
lost  so  much, — must  everything  I  set  my  affec- 
tion upon  be  taken? 


262  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Saturday. 
Yesterday  Philip  astonished  me  by  asking 
for  the  wash-job.  If  there  is  anything  on  the 
place  he  has  often  expressed  contempt  for,  it  is 
the  duties  of  the  unfortunate  wash-boy,  who 
must  rise  before  day  on  Saturdays  to  build  fires 
and  fill  kettles,  and  then  for  nine  long  hours  toil 
wearily,  chopping  wood,  carrying  water,  and 
otherwise  "slaving"  for  the  wash-girls,  until, 
when  playtime  comes,  he  is  generally  too  tired 
to  play;  not  to  mention  that  every  day  in  the 
week  he  must  tend  the  ironing-stove,  and, 
deepest  indignity  of  all,  take  a  hand  at  the 
ironing.  No  job  is  so  consistently  avoided  by 
every  boy  on  the  place;  while  the  carpenter- 
and  shop-work,  which  Philip  does  exclusively,  is 
considered  the  most  aristocratic  and  desirable  of 
all.  I  gladly  transferred  him,  however;  and  this 
morning  the  explanation  appeared,  when  Dilsey 
Warrick  tripped  over  with  the  other  nine  wash- 
girls,  having  been  shifted  from  the  weaving  to 
the  washing  department. 


CHANGE  AND  GROWTH  263 

Sunday  Night. 

After  church  to-day,  I  myself  heard  some  of 
the  solid  men  of  the  community  talking  about 
Blant's  case;  and  their  words  confirmed  Nucky's 
statement  of  last  week.  I  gather  that  public 
sentiment  is  pretty  well  crystallized  into  the 
feeling  that  a  couple  of  years  in  Frankfort  is 
about  the  least  the  reluctant  law  can  do  when 
forced  to  extremities.  Sympathy  for  Blant  is 
strong;  but  the  determination  is  equally  strong 
that  his  many  lawless  acts  cannot  be  longer 
overlooked,  and  that  the  majesty  of  the  law 
must  be  vindicated.  Nucky,  pale  of  face,  hur- 
ried to  the  jail  after  hearing  the  talk,  and 
Taulbee  said  to  me  as  we  came  home, 

"It  looks  now  like  Blant  is  bound  for  Frank- 
fort; but  I'll  lay  my  hat  he  don't  never  get 
there, — not  if  Trojan  can  help  it." 

"He'll  have  to  go  if  he  is  sent,"  I  replied; 
"now  he  has  put  himself  in  the  hands  of  the 
law,  he  must  take  his  medicine,  whatever  it  is." 


264  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Who, — Blant?  Him  swallow  anything  he 
don't  want  to?  I  reckon  not.  There's  many  a 
slip  'twixt  the  cup  and  the  lip." 

Wednesday,  first  week  in  March. 

More  distressing  news  from  Trigger,  when  the 
mail-boy  stopped  to  report  to-day.  "Same  old 
story  all  over  ag'in,"  he  says,  "the  babe  crying 
and  puning  constant,  and  plumb  off  its  feed,  and 
favoring  a  little  picked  bird.  Minervy  Saxby 
doubts  it's  a-holding  out  till  the  trial."  I  heard 
later  he  had  taken  the  news  on  to  Blant, 
through  the  bars  of  the  jail  window. 

Saturday  Evening. 

Philip  is  in  a  seventh  heaven.  Every  day  in 
the  week  now  he  basks  in  Dilsey's  presence  two 
or  three  hours,  cheerfully  doing  the  menial 
tasks  of  keeping  up  fires  and  ironing;  and  on 
Saturdays  he  spends  almost  the  entire  day  in 
her  society,  hanging  out  clothes,  turning  wring- 
ers, doing  tremendous  deeds  on  the  wood-pile 
with  his  ax,  running  nimbly  down  and  up  the 


CHANGE  AND   GROWTH  265 

rocky  sides  of  the  well  when  the  chain  breaks 
and  the  bucket  falls  in,  as  it  is  fond  of  doing, 
and,  between  labors,  giving  hazardous  per- 
formances on  the  limb  of  a  peach-tree.  The 
teasings  of  the  boys  and  girls  seem  powerless  to 
dampen  his  ardor, — indeed,  I  suspect  that  their 
"Howdy,  Mr.  Warrick,"  "Good  evening,  Mrs. 
Floyd,"  fall  as  music  on  his  ears. 

Sunday  Night. 

When  I  went  with  Nucky  to  the  jail  this 
afternoon,  I  found  that  the  rumors  abroad  for 
two  weeks  had  reached  it,  indeed,  they  were 
being  freely  discussed  by  the  prisoners,  the 
keeper  and  Blant  himself, — I  was  thankful  to 
see  that  he  was  able  to  put  his  mind  on  the  sub- 
ject. 

"Yes,"  he  said  sadly,  "it  looks  like  I'll  have 
to  give  up  the  hope  I  have  cherished,  and  try 
to  get  my  consent  to  face  life  again;  which  God 
knows  I  couldn't  if  it  wasn't  brung  home  to  me 
that  I  got  a  family  depending  on  me,  and  a  pore 


266  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

little  infant  looking  to  me  for  life  itself.  Noth- 
ing else  could  ever  give  me  courage  to  breast 
the  waves  of  sorrow  that  swallows  me  up.  But 
I  reckon,  after  all,  I  have  got  a  higher  call  to 
live  than  to  die ;  and  that,  when  they  acquit  me  on 
my  trial,  constant  hard  labor  for  my  family  will 
in  time  take  off  some  of  the  edge  of  my  sorrow.' ' 

"But  the  probabilities  is  they  wonH  acquit 
you,  Blant,"  said  the  keeper  impatiently;  "I 
been  trying  to  ding  that  into  your  head  nigh  a 
week.  I  told  you  plain  what  the  talk  was  about 
sending  you  to  Frankfort  a  couple  of  year'". 

"I  can't  believe  anything  so  unreasonable," 
replied  Blant.  "Now,  a  life  for  a  life  is  just 
plain  sense  and  common  justice, — if  they  was 
to  kill  me  for  the  lives  I  have  took,  especially 
Rich's,  I  would  perfectly  agree  they  was  doing 
right.  But  what  good  or  justice  it  would  do 
anybody  to  shut  me  up  in  Frankfort  when  I'm 
so  bad  needed  at  home,  I  fail  to  see.  Here  I  am, 
with  a  crippled  paw,  a  living  to  make  for  a 


CHANGE  AND   GROWTH  267 

large  family,  and  the  babe  maw  left  in  my  hands 
to  tend  and  raise, — you  might  say  with  my 
hands  running  over  full, — now  is  there  any  sense 
in  cooping  me  up  where  I  can't  do  none  of  it? 
I  allow  not — it's  plumb  ridiculous, — no  jury 
would  be  guilty  of  it;  and  if  they  was  to,  I  haint 
willing  to  take  it." 

"I  allow  you'll  have  to,  if  it  comes,"  said  the 
keeper,  sternly.  "You'd  ought  to  have  thought 
of  that  sooner,  and  looked  before  you  leaped. 
You  certainly  done  the  nearsightedest  job  ever 
I  heared  of  when  you  give  yourself  up  to  the 
sheriff, — honest,  I  wouldn't  have  believed  it 
of  you,  Blant, — but  of  course  your  mind  was 
clean  unhinged  by  misery,  and  you  wa'n't 
accountable.  And  I'm  sorry  for  you  if  you  get 
sent  up.  But  now  you've  throwed  yourself  in 
the  arms  of  the  law,  you  got  to  lay  there.  What- 
ever you  do,  take  warning,  and  don't  try  no 
escapin'  tricks  here  on  me,  like  you  done  on  the 
sheriff  last  spring.     Because,  whatever  hap- 


268  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

pens,  and  however  good  I  like  you — which  I  do, 
the  best  in  the  world — I  want  you  to  ricollect 
that  law  is  law,  and  I'm  its  sworn  gyuardeen, 
and  obligated  by  my  oath,  and  aiming  to  do  my 
whole  duty.  And  also,  that  I  haint  no  poor 
shakes  at  gun-practice  myself,  though  I  may 
not  be  as  sure  a  shot  as  you." 

At  the  words,  "as  sure  a  shot  as  you,"  a 
spasm  of  anguish  passed  over  Blant's  face. 
"I  wish  to  God  I  never  had  been  no  kind  of  a 
shot  at  all  before  I  took  the  life  of  him  I  loved! " 
he  exclaimed,  wildly.  "Don't  never  tell  me  of  it, 
or  call  it  to  my  recollection  that  I  had  the  surest 
aim  of  any  man  in  five  counties;  for  the  days  of 
my  gun-pride  are  over;  I  have  shot  my  last 
shoot!" 

Cries  of  amazement  and  incredulity  rose  on 
all  sides.  "You're  crazy,  Blant, — wouldn't 
you  defend  your  life?"  "Wouldn't  you  shoot 
for  your  freedom?"  "Wouldn't  you  fight  for 
your  land  if  the  Cheevers  tuck  it  again?"    To 


CHANGE  AND   GROWTH  269 

all  of  which  he  returned  the  solemn  answer, 
"No, — none  of  them  things  would  now  tempt 
me!  The  bullet  that  pierced  my  friend's  heart 
was  my  last!  Not  for  life,  not  for  freedom,  not 
for  old  ancestral  land,  will  I  shed  another  drap 
of  human  blood!" 

Nucky  heard  these  words  of  Blant's  as  if 
stunned  and  smitten,  and  walked  home  beside 
me  in  a  daze. 


XXVI 
"MARVLES"  AND  MARVELS 

Thursday, 
Yesterday,  when  the  ground  was  hard  and 
smooth,  but  not  too  dry,  marbles  struck  the 
school  like  a  lightning  express.  It  appears  that 
before  school  in  the  morning  Geordie  had 
"trusted"  a  few  leading  spirits  (Taulbee  and 
Philip  among  the  cottage  boys,  Lige  Munn  and 
Harl  Drake  among  the  day-pupils)  with  sets  of 
marbles,  giving  them  three  days'  time  in  which 
to  pay  him  the  ten  cents  a  set.  At  noon  play- 
time I  was  surrounded  by  a  mob  of  my  boys, 
loudly  demanding  extra  work,  while  the  wood- 
work teacher  was  beseiged  by  day-pupils  of  all 
sizes  and  ages,  demanding  extra  jobs  in  the  shop. 
When  Hen  told  me  before  supper  that  all  the 

"day-schools"  as  well  as  the  cottage  boys  were 
270 


"MARVLES"  AND  MARVELS  271 

buying  "marvles"  from  Geordie,  I  said,  "Oh, 
you  must  be  mistaken.  Geordie  has  not  more 
than  the  dozen  sets  he  traded  you  boys  out  of 
after  Christmas,  and  possibly  a  few  others 
collected  before." 

Hen  looked  wise.  "You  never  knowed  he 
had  a  marvle-mill  a-running  back  yander  in  the 
branch,  ever  sence  he  got  the  stable-job?"  he 
said. 

"What  in  the  world?"  I  demanded. 

"  Right  there  under  the  stable-lot  fence,  where 
the  branch  falls  into  Perilous,  he  took'n  made 
him  four  little  troughs,  that  takes  streams  out 
and  draps  'em  into  four  holes  he's  got  hollered 
out  in  a  flat  rock  underneath.  All  he's  got  to  do 
is  to  put  a  chunk  of  sandstone  in  every  hole,  and 
the  water  keeps  it  a-whirling  till  first  thing  it 
knows  it's  a  pure  marvle;  and  then  he  puts  in 
another  chunk.  He  makes  him  twelve  marvles  a 
day  thataway — it  haint  no  trouble  to  drap  in 
the  chunks  whilst  he's  watering  the  nags — and 


272  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

he's  been  at  it  stiddy  for  six  weeks.  I  kotch  him 
at  it  one  time,  and  he  give  me  a  set  not  to  tell 
t'other  boys.    Marvles!    Gee-oh,  he's  got  'em!" 

Saturday  Night. 

Philip  carries  on  his  siege  with  characteristic 
vigor,  leaving  nothing  undone  to  win  the  citadel 
of  Dilsey's  difficult  affections,  and  enduring  as 
best  he  may  the  painful  moments  caused  by  her 
too-great  particularity  in  trifles.  This  morning 
I  passed  down  through  the  back  yard  while  the 
washing  was  in  full  progress.  The  girls  were 
working  and  singing  at  their  tubs  under  the  big 
sycamore.  A  little  to  one  side,  Philip  was  ener- 
getically turning  the  wringer  for  Dilsey.  He 
paused,  as  I  passed,  to  blow  his  nose  after  the 
good  old  fashion  of  our  first  parents,  to  be 
cruelly  reminded  by  her,  "  I  alius  blow  mine  on 
a  handkerchief!" 

Tuesday. 

Blant's  declaration  that  he  has  "shot  his  last 
shoot"  has  become  widely  known,  and  occasions 


■m&h 


"'I  kotch  him  at  it  one  time."' 


273 


274  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

a  sensation.  The  boys  are  incredulous.  Taul- 
bee  said  this  evening  (Nucky  being  at  the 
jail), 

"Of  course  he  never  meant  it, — a  hero  like 
Blant  to  give  up  his  life,  or  his  freedom,  or  his 
land,  for  the  lack  of  a  shot?  No,  I'll  bound 
you  he  said  it  to  throw  dust  in  their  eyes  so's 
they  won't  look  for  him  to  escape.  If  Blant 
could  get  his  ringers  on  a  forty-five,  they'd  soon 
see  whether  he'd  shoot!" 

Friday. 

Excited  groups  dot  the  school-yard  and 
cottage-grounds  every  recess  and  playtime,  and 
cries  of  "No  inchin's!",  "My  taw!",  "Pickin's 
on  me!",  "No  back-killin's!",  "I  beat,  but  you 
git  the  goes!"  fill  the  air.  Marbles  is  such  a 
quiet  and  genteel  game,  comparatively  speak- 
ing, and  with  so  much  less  menace  to  life  and 
limb  than  preceding  ones,  that  I  encourage  and 
forward  it  in  every  way,  and  sincerely  hope  it 
will  last  out  the  term.    The  boys  seem  most 


"MARVLES"  AND   MARVELS  275 

unfortunate,  however,  about  losing  their  mar- 
bles, and  are  constantly  asking  for  extra  work 
in  order  to  buy  more.  I  have  already  given 
Jason  money  to  buy  half  a  dozen  sets. 

Saturday  Night. 
This  afternoon,  after  the  arduous  labors  of 
the  day,  and  an  hour  of  play,  Philip  was  sitting 
on  the  back  cottage-steps  eating  a  huge  chunk  of 
"sugar- tree-sugar"  he  had  just  bought  in  the 
village,  the  other  boys  leaving  their  marbles 
and  gathering  about  him  like  flies  as  he  drew 
forth  the  great,  sticky  lump,  though  with  but 
faint  hope  in  their  eyes.  Sure  enough,  he  made 
no  motion  to  break  it  up  or  pass  it  around  (Taul- 
bee,  with  whom  he  usually  shares,  is  at  home  for 
the  week-end).  So  Philip  sat  and  licked  and 
crunched  in  solitary  state.  Just  at  this  juncture, 
four  of  the  wash-girls,  including  Dilsey,  sud- 
denly appeared  round  the  corner  of  the  house, 
on  some  unexpected  errand.  Dilsey  stopped  in 
her  tracks,  and  took  in  the  situation.     Then 


276  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

walking  on,  she  remarked  casually  to  the  peach- 
tree,  "I'd  sooner  die  as  to  marry  a  greedy 
man!" 

Flushed  and  angry,  Philip  sprang  to  his  feet. 
"You  needn't  talk,  missy, — I  give  you  more'n  I 
kep', — more'n  you  could  eat!" 

"Yes,  and  I  give  very  near  all  of  mine  to  the 
girls;  but  you  haint  never  give  them  boys  nary 
grain  of  your'n,  that  I  can  see!" 

Philip  wavered  a  bare  instant,  then,  "  'Cause 
I  haint  had  time  yet,"  he  said,  "I  was  just 
a-fixing  to  break  it  up  with  this-here  rock,  and 
give  'em  some." 

"Well,  I  would,  if  I  was  you,"  murmured 
Dilsey,  with  decision,  as  she  passed  on. 

As  Philip  smashed  angrily  away  with  the  rock, 
I  marvelled  at  the  vast  power  in  women's 
hands,  and  wished  there  were  more  Dilseys 
with  the  courage  to  use  it. 


"MARVLES"  AND  MARVELS  277 

Sunday. 

Flour  all  gone, — no  more  biscuit  from  now 
on  until  the  roads  open — and  no  sugar  for  the 
little  coffee  that  remains. 

Monday  Evening. 

To-day  the  rumor  is  flying  that  the  remaining 
Cheevers  set  the  fence  up  again  on  the  Marrs 
land  Friday  and  Saturday,  taking  their  time,  in 
known  security  from  interruption.  Nucky  dis- 
appeared at  noon, — of  course  he  has  gone  home. 

Tuesday  Night. 

I  was  late  going  over  to  supper  this  evening, 
and  had  turned  out  the  lights  and  was  locking 
my  door  to  leave  when  Nucky  ran  into  the  cot- 
tage. He  did  not  see  me  in  the  shadow,  and 
evidently  believed  the  house  to  be  deserted, 
for  he  flung  himself  down  before  the  fire  in  a 
passion  of  fury  and  despair,  beating  the  floor 
with  hands  and  feet.  I  waited  until  the  storm 
had  subsided  a  little,  then  stepped  forward  into 
the  firelight. 


278  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"What  does  this  mean?"  I  asked. 

"Mean!"  he  replied.  "It  means  that  Blant 
has  took  leave  of  his  senses, — that  he  aint  at 
himself  no  more, — that  he  has  gone  plumb  back 
on  everything!" 

"Explain  yourself,"  I  said. 

"I  heared  the  Cheevers  had  set  the  fence 
back,  and  went  over,  and  there  it  was,  built 
good  and  strong,  on  our  land.  I  knowed  I 
couldn't  do  nothing  myself;  but  I  said,  'This 
will  wake  Blant;  he  will  break  prison  and  come 
back  to  us  now,  like  I  been  a-begging  him.  He 
can  clean  out  the  jail  and  make  his  escape  in 
ten  seconds  with  his  forty-five.'  So  I  got  it, 
and  brung  it  over,  and  tuck  it  down  to  the  jail 
this  evening  at  the  time  I  knowed  Joe  would 
begin  to  take  the  boys  off  to  their  cells  for  the 
night.  I  never  went  in,  but  talked  to  Blant  at 
the  window,  and  told  him  the  Cheevers  had  the 
fence  sot  up,  and  how  bad  everything  was  at 
home.    Then  Joe  he  begun  to  take  the  boys  off, 


"MARVLES"  AND   MARVELS  279 

and  soon  as  he  turnt  his  back,  I  slipped  the 
forty-five  through  the  bars  to  Blant.  '  Shoot 
him  down  when  he  comes  back,'  I  says,  'and 
take  the  keys  and  run  out, — it  haint  no  trouble 
at  all! '  Blant  he  sort  of  jumped  when  he  seed 
it;  then  he  heared  Joe  a-coming,  and  turnt 
around  with  his  back  again'  the  window.  'Joe/ 
he  says,  solemn,  'you  and  t'other  boys  here 
never  believed  me  when  I  said  I  had  shot  my 
last  shoot, — you  thought  I  was  just  a-talking. 
Now  I  will  prove  it  to  you.  Nucky  here  has 
just  brung  me  word  that  the  Cheevers  has  sot 
up  the  fence  on  our  land  again;  he  has  begged 
me  to  make  my  escape  and  settle  'em;  he  has 
also  brung  me  the  means  of  doing  it.  Joe,'  he 
says,  'when  you  stepped  in  the  door  there,  I 
could  have  shot  you  dead  with  my  forty-five.' 
He  stepped  aside  from  the  window,  where  the 
pistol  was  laying.  'Take  it,  Joe,'  he  says,  'I 
refuse  to  touch  it;  I  have  shot  my  last  shoot!' 
Joe  come  acrost  the  room  white  as  a  sheet 


!Take  it,  Joe,  I  refuse  to  touch  it,  I  have  shot  my  last 
shoot!"' 


280 


"MARVLES"  AND  MARVELS  281 

'That's  mighty  fair  of  you,  Blant,'  he  says, 
putting  it  in  his  pocket;  'you  held  my  life  in 
your  hand/  'If  it  was  the  life  of  my  worst 
enemy, — if  it  was  all  the  Cheevers  put  to- 
gether— it  would  be  the  same,'  says  Blant;  'I 
am  cured  of  killing;  Rich's  death  has  showed 
me  the  terribleness  of  it ;  I  shoot  no  more ! '  And 
then  seemed  like  I  would  choke  if  I  looked  at 
him  another  minute,  and  I  run  off.  And  now 
nothing  haint  no  use, — Blant's  lost  his  senses, 
and  nothing  can't  bring  him  to  'em!"  Again  he 
beat  the  floor  despairingly. 

"  So  far  from  losing  his  senses,"  I  said,  "  he  has 
just  come  to  them.  It  took  the  terrible  death 
of  his  friend  to  show  him  the  sacredness  of 
human  life,  and  the  worthlessness  of  pride,  free- 
dom, or  land  in  comparison  with  it.  This  is 
hard  for  you  to  understand,  Nucky;  but  be  sure 
that  this  evening  Blant  has  done  the  greatest, 
most  heroic  act  of  his  life." 

The  storm  of  disappointment  and  anger  was 


282  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

too  great,  however;  it  continued  to  sweep  him 
until  he  heard  the  boys  coming  and  hurried 
away  to  bed. 


XXVII 

TRANSFORMATION 

Wednesday. 

Sad  news  again  from  Trigger  about  the  babe. 
"Nothing  but  a  pitiful  little  passel  of  bones/ ' 
said  the  mail-boy;  "purely  dying  for  lack  of 
Blant" 

Blanks  refusal  to  use  his  gun  last  night  has 
spread  abroad,  and  creates  great  excitement. 
"Trojan  fotch  him  his  revolver  and  he  wouldn't 
tech  it  or  use  it,"  is  the  talk  flying  about  among 
the  boys.  "Aiming  to  let  the  Cheevers  keep  his 
land."  "Done  give  up  the  war."  "Haint  going 
to  make  no  effort  to  break  prison."  "Never 
heared  tell  of  no  hero  doing  such  a  way!" 
"Achilles  wouldn't,"  "Nor  Hector,  neither." 
Evidently  they  feel  bitter  disappointment. 
They  do  not  dare  show  it  before  Nucky,  how- 
ever, or  even  broach  the  subject  in  his  presence. 

*3 


284  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

I  called  them  in  to-night  and  talked  to  them 
about  the  superiority  of  moral  courage  to  phys- 
ical,— with,  I  fear,  no  great  result.  How  ter- 
ribly true  are  Paul's  words,  "First  the  natural 
man,  then" — after  what  awful  birth-pangs, 
sometimes  as  cruel  as  those  Blant  is  experienc- 
ing!— "  the  spiritual ". 

Saturday. 
More  and  more  distressing  accounts  of  the 
babe.  "Minervy  Saxby  says  it  won't  hold  out 
till  the  trial."  "Just  lays  and  pines  and 
moans."  "You  can  count  every  bone  in  its 
body".  Poor  Blant!  When  he  hears  this,  as  he 
certainly  will,  will  he  regret  that  he  did  not  use 
the  revolver?  The  trial  is  only  ten  days  off; 
but  if  the  two-years'  penitentiary  sentence  is  to 
follow,  as  everybody  says  it  will,  there  will  be 
no  chance  whatever  for  the  babe — even  a  two- 
weeks'  sentence  would  be  too  long.  I  had 
hoped  that  Blant's  refusal  to  use  his  gun  on  the 
keeper  might  turn  the  tide  of  public  sentiment 


TRANSFORMATION  285 

in  favor  of  an  acquittal;  but  that  seems  not  to 
be  so  much  as  thought  of.  Nucky  has  appar- 
ently lost  all  hope  and  courage,  and  goes  about 
in  miserable,  despairing  silence.  Probably  it  is 
as  well  for  him  that  he  is  to  leave  school  the  end 
of  next  week  and  shoulder  the  hard  work  and 
heavy  responsibilities  at  home, — action  may  re- 
lieve his  suffering  of  mind.  But  it  is  harder 
than  I  can  say  for  me  to  let  him  go,  and  to  know 
that  I  am  giving  him  up  for  at  least  two  years, — 
probably  forever.  Indeed,  when  I  think  of  the 
whole  situation, — the  desperate  condition  of  the 
Marrs  family,  the  dying  state  of  the  babe,  the 
tragedy  of  a  boy  of  Nucky's  wonderful  promise 
having  to  give  up  schooling  and  bow  his  shoul- 
ders under  a  man's  burden  at  twelve  years  old, 
I  am  tempted  to  wish  that  in  some  way,  not  of 
bloodshed,  Blant  could  have  managed  to  escape. 

Thursday. 
Marbles  is  still  in  full  sway, — I  have  never 
seen  the  boys  so  fascinated  by  any  game, — they 


286  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

spend  at  least  three-fourths  of  their  playtime 
making  money  to  buy  marbles  to  play  with  the 
other  fourth, — for  they  continue  to  lose  incred- 
ible numbers  of  them.  I  gave  Jason  a  dime  to 
buy  his  tenth  set  to-day. 

Geordie  informed  me  as  he  started  to  bed  a  few 
minutes  ago  that  he  had  enough  money  laid  by 
now  to  take  that  trip  to  Virginia  this  summer 
and  see  his  mother  and  the  world  and  the  rail- 
road-train. In  spite  of  his  talents,  I  wonder 
that  he  has  managed  to  get  that  much  together. 

Vacation  is  just  a  little  over  a  month  distant 
now,  and  Keats  and  Hen  are  already  making 
great  plans  as  to  the  work  they  will  perform  for 
Nervesty  during  the  summer,  and  all  the  others 
who  have  homes  are  looking  forward  eagerly. 
A  few, — all  my  motherless  ones,  I  hope — will  re- 
main here  with  me  to  attend  to  the  gardening 
during  the  summer.  I  had  of  course  planned 
for  Nucky  to  stay  with  me;  but  pain  takes  the 
place  of  the  pleasure  I  had  anticipated. 


TRANSFORMATION  287 

First  Sunday  in  April. 
To-day  Philip  was  a  living  monument  to  the 
transforming  power  of  love.  Very  clean,  very 
much  combed  and  brushed  and  collared  and 
tied,  with  a  large  handkerchief,  soaked  in  my 
cologne,  held  prominently  in  one  hand,  and  an 
expression  as  decorous  and  pious  as  any  ever 
achieved  by  Geordie  Yonts,  he  sat  in  church 
the  very  picture  of  elegance,  the  real  direction  of 
his  thoughts  being  indicated  by  an  occasional 
ardent  glance  across  the  aisle,  where  Dilsey, 
fairer,  more  saint-like  than  ever,  kept  serious  eyes 
on  the  preacher.  As  I  looked,  I  asked  myself, 
Can  this  be  the  boy  who  a  few  short  months 
ago  declined  to  perform  the  most  rudimentary 
rites  of  the  toilet,  gloried  in  tatters,  declared  that 
"when  a  man  steps  in  the  door,  looks  flies  up 
the  chimley",  denominated  "polite"  a  "lick- 
spittle", asserted  that  he  would  rather  take  off 
his  hat  to  a  cow  than  a  woman,  and  pronounced 
the  story  of  his  chivalric  namesake  a  "slander"? 


JUHV  l*Nfc 


"He  sat  in  church  the  very  picture  of  elegance,  the  real 
direction  of  his  thoughts  indicated  by  an  occasional 
ardent  glance  across  the  aisle." 
288 


TRANSFORMATION  289 

This  afternoon,  however,  came  the  grand 
climax.  After  the  dish-washing,  the  cottage 
boys  and  ten  wash-girls  came  quietly  over  to 
the  cottage  yard  and  seated  themselves  on  back 
steps  and  walk.  As  Hen  ran  through  to  join 
them  I  inquired,  "What's  going  on?" 

"Philip  he's  aiming  to  give  a  treat,  and  done 
axed  all  us  boys  and  wash-girls  to  it,"  he  replied 
in  an  astonished  voice,  hurrying  on.  I,  too, 
remembering  the  consistent  selfishness  following 
upon  the  declaration  that  "generous  never  put 
no  bread  in  my  belly",  was  astonished.  A  few 
moments  later  I  stepped  to  the  open  window 
and  looked  out  upon  a  surprising  scene.  Philip, 
as  suave,  knightly  and  beautiful  as  his  famous 
namesake  could  ever  have  been  in  the  days 
when  he  sighed  for  Stella  and  all  other  women 
for  him,  was  passing  around  a  large  "poke"  of 
crackers,  and  another  of  brown  sugar,  and  say- 
ing with  graceful  flourishes  and  insistent  polite- 


2qo  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

"Eat  all  you  can,  now,  everybody, — I  got 
more  still  when  you  git  through  this.  There, 
Jason,  wait  till  the  girls  is  helped, — ladies  first, 
son, — haint  you  got  no  manners?  Take  some, 
Nancy,  eat  a-plenty,  Rosabel,  don't  hold  back, 
Narcissa,  here's  a  good  lump,  Dilsey.  Now, 
boys,  pitch  in, — you  little  fellows,  Iry,  Hen, 
Jason,  take  your  pick  first, — the  big  boys  waits 
till  after  you, — I  don't  aim  to  see  you  run  over. 
Don't  be  af eared,  take  all  you  need!  Now 
Taulbee,  Killis,  Hose,  Keats,  everybody, — dive 
in!  Just  eat  all  you  can  hold,  and  fill  up  your 
bel — stummicks.  I  love  to  see  folks  eat  and 
enjoy  theirselves.  No  thank  you,  I  wouldn't 
choose  none  myself, — 'druther  see  the  rest  eat! 
I  spent  thirty  cents  on  them  crackers,  and 
thirty-five  on  that  'ere  sugar, — dag  gone,  I 
reckon  a  man't  works  hard  for  his  money's  got 
the  right  to  spend  it  to  suit  him!  Some  folks 
haint  fitten  to  live, — wants  to  eat  up  all  they  git 
theirselves;  but  I  like  to  pass  around  mine,  I 


TRANSFORMATION  291 

do, — it  makes  me  happy.  What's  the  use  of 
livin'  if  you  can't  make  folks  see  a  good  time? 
Gee-oh,  I  aim  to  make  me  a  big  grain  of  money 
this  summer,  so's  I  can  give  a  treat  onct  a 
month  come  next  school;  and  I  want  every  man- 
jack  of  you,  and  ladies  too,  to  come  every  time. 
Dad  burn  ole  Heck,  generous  never  mint  no- 
body !" 

Almost  unable  to  believe  my  eyes  and  ears, 
I  stood,  murmuring  to  myself,  "And  they  say 
the  day  of  miracles  is  past ! " 

Nucky  alone  was  absent  from  the  feast, 
visiting  Blant.  On  his  return,  there  was  a 
surprising  change  in  his  demeanor.  He  ap- 
peared to  have  shed  several  years  of  age  and 
care,  played  boisterously  about  the  yard,  got 
into  two  or  three  fights,  and  a  short  while  after 
we  began  reading  to-night  leaped  from  his 
chair  to  the  table,  where  he  executed  a  wild 
war-dance.  All  of  which  distressed  me  not  a 
little,    and    seemed    perfectly    unaccountable. 


2Q2  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

The  thought  that  he  was  sitting  beside  me,  and 
leaning  his  head  on  my  shoulder,  for  probably 
the  last  time,  was  eating  into  my  heart;  and  his 
carelessness  of  the  fact  hurt  me  deeply.  But  of 
course  parting  means  little  to  the  very  young. 


xxvm 

"KEEPS" 

Tuesday. 
Going  to  the  village  on  an  errand  after  break- 
fast, when  I  reached  the  deep  mudholes  where 
we  always  have  to  walk  the  fence  some  distance, 
I  was  delighted  to  see  a  gang  of  men  at  work  on 
the  road,  and  to  recognize  in  them  Blant  and  the 
other  prisoners.  They  were  picking  the  shale 
from  the  mountain  side,  and  shovelling  it  into 
the  bottomless  holes,  and  all,  save  Blant,  were 
hilariously  happy  to  be  out  in  the  spring  sun- 
shine and  fresh  air,  and  talked  gaily  with  me  and 
other  passers-by,  the  keeper,  who  leaned  on  his 
rifle,  entering  amiably  into  the  conversation. 
He  says  that  every  spring  the  prisoners  are 
brought  out  to  work  on  the  roads, — that  it  does 
them  good,  and  the  county  too.  I  had  not  seen 
393 


294  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

Blant  for  quite  a  while.  It  seemed  to  me  that 
the  sadness  and  sternness  of  his  face  were  a  little 
relaxed,  and  I  rejoiced  to  know  that  time  was 
doing  something  toward  making  his  sorrow  for 
Rich  less  poignant.  I  hope  that  the  news  I  had 
Saturday  about  the  babe, — that  it  is  nothing 
but  a  feather,  and  must  soon  blow  away — has 
not  reached  him. 

Wednesday  Night. 
For  two  days  the  boys,  especially  Nucky, 
have  made  every  excuse  to  run  down  the  road 
and  exchange  words  with  the  road-gang,  who 
continue  to  work  toward  us.  These  frequent 
glimpses  of  Blant  seem  to  maintain  Nucky's 
spirits  at  the  same  high  pitch  manifested  Sun- 
day. While  I  am  in  the  lowest  depths  over 
losing  him  in  three  more  days,  and  while  it 
seems  to  me  his  grief  over  Blant's  trial  and 
probable  departure  for  Frankfort  next  week, 
and  the  almost  certain  loss  of  the  babe,  should 
hang  more  heavily  than  ever  upon  him,  he  is 


"KEEPS"  29s 

out  shouting  at  marbles,  or  chasing  the  other 
boys  about, — indeed,  I  never  saw  him  in  such 
spirits. 

Thursday  Night. 

Nucky  brought  in  word  to-day  that  the  mud- 
holes  are  nearly  filled,  and  the  prisoners  pre- 
paring to-morrow  to  blast  out  rock  and  widen 
the  road  at  the  narrow  place  where  our  school- 
grounds  begin. 

What  was  my  pained  astonishment  when,  in 
the  afternoon,  the  heads  sent  for  me  and  said, 
"We  have  just  heard  down  in  the  village  that 
this  school  is  a  notorious  gambling-place;  that 
the  boys  do  nothing  but  play  keeps;  and  that 
some  of  yours  are  the  ringleaders.,, 

After  supper  I  called  the  twelve  around  the 
sitting-room  table,  and  laid  the  matter  before 
them.  "To  think,,,  I  said,  "that  you  could 
deceive  me  in  this  way,  and  play  this  game  for 
more  than  six  weeks  when  you  have  been  told 
over  and  over  that  all  gambling  is  forbidden 


2g6  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

here!  Now,  are  you  all  guilty,  or  is  there  by 
chance  one  who  has  had  the  self-respect  and 
moral  courage  not  to  play?" 

All  heads  hung  limp  except  Geordie's.  Both 
his  head  and  his  hand  went  up.  "I  never/'  he 
said,  "I  haint  toch  my  hand  to  a  game  of  keeps 
this  whole  school." 

"Thank  heaven,"  I  said,  surprised  but  grate- 
ful. 

But  Taulbee  was  slowly  rising  in  his  chair, 
eyes  glued  on  Geordie,  finger  pointing.  "'F 
you  never  played  no  keeps,  where'd  you  git  all 
them  marvles  you  been  a-selling  us  right  along?  " 
he  demanded. 

"I  made  'em,"  replied  Geordie. 

"I  know  you  made  'em  at  first,  in  that  mill 
we  broke  up  for  you  under  the  stable-lot  fence. 
But  you  sold  all  them  out  the  first  week, — I  seed 
you  sell  the  last.  Where' d  you  get  t 'others  you 
been  selling  sence?  I  bought  four  sets  off  of 
you,  and  Philip  six,  and  Killis  and  Keats  about 


"KEEPS"  297 

nine  apiece,  and  Jason  I  reckon  a  dozen,  and  all 
the  rest  of  the  boys  and  the  day-schools  has 
been  running  to  you  a  month,  and  sweating  to 
get  money  to  pay  you  for  marvles.  Where'd 
they  come  from?" 

"Did  you  ever  see  me  play  ary  keep  this 
school  ?"  inquired  Geordie. 

"Don't  know  as  I  did;  but  I  seed  you  hangin' 
round  all  the  time." 

Geordie  turned  to  Philip:  "Didn't  you  see  me 
git  beat  every  time  I  played  last  summer?"  he 
inquired. 

"Yes,  I  did,"  replied  Philip. 

"Well,  I  haint  played  no  more  keeps  sence. 
I  know  I  can't  play,  and  I  haint  fool  enough  to 
throw  away  good  marvles." 

Convinced  but  not  satisfied,  Taulbee  frowned 
darkly.  "Well,  dad  burn  your  looks,  where'd 
you  git  all  them  marvles  you  been  selling  this 
spring,"  he  demanded,  "they  never  growed 
on  trees."   The  finger  was  no  longer  pointing, 


"'Well,  dad  burn  your  looks,  where'd  you  git  all  them 

marvles  you  been  selling  ?  ' " 

298 


"KEEPS"  299 

it  was  doubled  up  in  a  fist  under  Geordie's 
nose. 

At  last  came  the  hesitating,  reluctant  answer: 
"Me'n'  Lige  Munn  and  Harl  Drake  and  Benoni 
Somers  went  pardners." 

"You  put  up  the  marvles  and  them  the  fin- 
gers? " 

"Yes,  and  they's  the  best  players  in  school, 
and  alius  cleans  out  t'other  boys;  and  I'm  right 
smart  of  a  good  trader,  and  git  a  better  price 
than  they  could;  so  they  puts  in  all  their  time 
a-winning,  and  turns  all  the  marvles  over  to  me 
to  sell;  and  then  I  git  the  halves  on  every 
marvle.,, 

"And  then  you  set  up  and  tell  her  you  haint 
played  nary  keep  this  school?" 

"I  haint  never  played  none,"  reaffirmed 
Geordie,  in  conscious  innocence;  "I  never  toch 
my  hand   to  nary  keep  this  whole  school!" 

The  whites  of  Taulbee's  eyes  were  now  red ;  he 
ground  his  teeth.    "  Dad  swinge  your  ole  grave- 


300  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

robber  soul,  I  aim  to  kill  you  dead,"  he  shouted, 
leaping  across  the  table,  and  followed  by  every 
boy  but  Absalom  in  the  direction  of  the  un- 
fortunate Geordie. 

It  was  ten  minutes  before  I,  with  the  assist- 
ance of  Absalom  and  a  broomstick,  rescued  a 
torn  and  bleeding  victim  from  the  howling, 
threshing  mass  under  which  he  was  buried,  and 
sent  for  the  trained  nurse. 

I  have  sat  here  to-night  wondering  at  the 
light  my  acquaintance  with  Geordie  has  shed 
upon  the  vexed  questions  of  accumulation  of 
capital,  formation  of  trusts,  cornering  of  mar- 
kets, dealings  in  futures,  and,  last  but  not  least, 
the  perfect  compatibility  of  sharp-practice  and 
law-breaking  with  sincere  piety  and  philan- 
thropy. 

But  alas,  these  are  only  surface  thoughts, — 
deep  in  my  heart  is  the  sharp  knowledge  that 
to-morrow  I  must  lose  Nucky,  and  that  he  cares 
very  little  that  he  must  go  and  leave  me. 


XXIX 

LIBERTY  AND  NEW  LIFE 

Friday. 
At  daybreak  this  morning,  heavy  detonations 
began  to  rend  the  air,  and  we  knew  that  the 
road-blasting  had  begun.  It  was  almost  im- 
possible to  get  the  cottage  cleaned, — the  boys, 
especially  Nucky,  hung  out  of  windows  and 
doors,  eagerly  watching  the  puffs  of  smoke 
down  the  road,  and  listening  for  the  loud  re- 
ports. As  we  went  over  to  breakfast,  we  could 
see  Blant  and  the  others  at  work.  I  noticed 
that  Nucky  ate  not  a  bite,  and  was  very  pale, — 
I  hoped  that  he  was  at  last  realizing  it  was  his 
last  day  with  me,  and  was  feeling  some  of  the 
pain  I  felt  in  the  separation.  We  were  all 
pouring  out  of  the  dining-room  after  the  meal, 

when  several  sharp,  near-by  gun-shots,  following 
301 


302  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

a  particularly  loud  blast  of  powder,  sent  all  flying 
to  the  front.  Up  the  steep  mountain  side  facing 
the  school  a  man  was  leaping,  while  down  in  the 
road  below  ran  another,  stopping  only  to  aim 
and  fire. 

"It's  Blant!"  called  out  a  score  of  voices; 
"he's  got  away!    Go  it,  Blant, — run,  oh,  run!" 

It  was  indeed  Blant,  making  desperate  speed 
up  the  steep  slope.  The  mountain  is  cleared 
halfway,  not  a  rock  or  a  tree  affording  shelter; 
above  that  is  the  timber-line.  All  the  school 
was  by  this  time  at  the  fence,  breathlessly 
watching  the  breathless  ascent.  The  keeper, 
selecting  a  vantage-ground  just  outside  the 
school  gate,  took  his  stand  and  grimly  pro- 
ceeded to  do  his  "whole  duty,"  firing  swiftly, 
calmly,  surely,  at  the  flying  figure.  In  running 
accompaniment  to  the  gun-shots,  Nucky's 
voice  rang  out  sharp  and  clear.  "Keep  to  the 
right  a  little-grain!"  "Drap  down  in  the  swag 
there,  so's  he  can't  hit  you  so  easy!"  "Make 


LIBERTY  AND  NEW  LIFE  303 

for  them  spruce-pines !  Hurry !  Hurry !  Hurry ! " 
Bullets  raised  tiny  clouds  of  dust  about  Blant's 
feet,  and  on  the  slope  just  ahead  of  him;  the 
seconds  seemed  ages;  our  hearts  stood  still. 
Once  he  stopped  short,  clutching  his  left  arm; 
then  ran  on  again,  more  swiftly  than  ever, 
his  arm  dangling  strangely.  Nucky's  voice, 
edged  with  agony,  faltered  no  more  than  did 
the  bullets.  "Can't  you  move  no  quicker'n 
that?  Seems  like  I  could  crawl  faster!  Once 
you  reach  the  timber,  he'll  never  hit  you! 
Oh,  hurry!  hurry!  hurry!  You're  getting  nigh 
now.  The  trees!  the  trees!  the  trees!  Oh  God, 
he's  to  'em, — he's  safe!" 

And,  indeed,  he  was.  After  a  few  parting 
shots  into  the  timber,  the  keeper  shook  his 
head,  mopped  the  sweat  from  his  brow,  shoul- 
dered his  gun  and  turned  to  the  other  prisoners, 
who  had  followed  him  down  the  road,  and  to 
the  rest  of  us. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "I  done  my  best,  as  my  oath 


»AM  LUM    *»«ll.l.»i 


'Nucky's  voice  rang  out  sharp  and  clear  .  .  'Make  for 
them  spruce  pines !    Hurry !  Hurry !  Hurry ! ' " 


304 


LIBERTY  AND  NEW  LIFE  305 

required,  though  sore  again'  my  will.  But  he 
had  too  good  a  start.  It  certainly  was  pyeert 
of  him  to  get  on  the  far  side  from  me  before 
that  big  blast  went  off;  and  it  tuck  me  plumb  by 
surprise.  Of  course  I  looked  for  him  to  try  to 
escape  at  the  first;  but  after  he  refused  to  use 
his  gun  to  get  away,  I  give  up  the  notion, 
though  I  mind  now  he  said  plain  he  wa'n't 
willing  to  go  to  Frankfort.  Well,  I  never  done  a 
more  painful  thing  than  try  to  kill  him  as  he 
run  for  his  life, — if  he  was  my  own  brother  I 
couldn't  have  felt  worse — but  public  servants 
is  called  on  to  do  mighty  onnatural  and  dis- 
agreeable things  sometimes.  And  now  that  I 
tried  my  best  and  failed,  I  am  free  to  say  I'm 
glad  none  of  them  bullets  never  hit  no  vital,  and 
that  it  was  his  arm,  not  his  heart,  I  put  out  of 
business. 

"Yes,  I  consider  that  'ere  Blant  as  perfect  a 
gentleman  as  ever  I  seed;  and  I  think  it  was  a 
mighty  sensible  thing  of  him  not  to  stay  and 


306  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

stand  trial  and  go  to  Frankfort.  Why,  Frank-, 
fort  is  intended  for  criminals,  and  God  knows 
that  boy  haint  got  a  criminal  bone  in  him,  and 
never  did  have.  Of  course  his  mistake  was  in 
ever  givin'  himself  up  when  he  kilt  Rich  and 
Todd, — that  was  the  dad-burn  foolishest  thing 
ever  I  heared  of,  and  come  nigh  being  his  ruina- 
tion, and  that  of  his  family. 

"Well,  I  reckon  he's  making  tracks  for  home 
and  the  babe  now — God  grant  the  pore  little 
creetur'll  live  till  he  gits  there — and  I  expect  he 
will  rest  pretty  oneasy  for  a  few  days,  allowing 
me  and  the  sheriff  will  be  low-down  enough  to 
hunt  him.  Which  knowing  the  law  like  we  do, 
we  haint  got  the  least  notion  of, — one  of  the 
very  pillars  of  the  criminal  law  is  that  no  man's 
life  shall  be  twice  in  jeopardy  for  the  same 
offense;  and  certainly  Blant's  life  couldn't  be 
worse  jeoparded  than  it  was  by  my  gun  this 
hour;  and  being  as  the  law  is  satisfied,  I  am,  and 
I  may  confidently  say  the  sheriff  will  be.    Yes, 


LIBERTY  AND   NEW  LIFE  307 

I  allow  that  by  next  week  Blant  will  be  out  in 
perfect  peace,  putting  in  his  crap.  I  hate  to 
think  of  his  feelings  over  seeing  his  land  in 
Cheever  possession;  but  I'll  lay  my  life  he'll 
stand  to  his  word  not  to  shoot  another  shot, 
and  that  the  Marrs-Cheever  war  is  over." 

When  I  turned  around  a  little  later,  Nucky, 
who  had  been  at  my  side,  was  gone, — doubtless 
to  see  Blant  safely  home,  and  to  take  him  the 
word  of  his  immunity  from  capture. 

Saturday,  Bed-time. 

To-night  Nucky  came  back,  more  radiant 
and  happy  than  I  have  ever  seen  him,  to  be 
greeted  by  the  unanimous  question,  "How  long 
has  Blant  been  aiming  to  escape?  " 

"Ever  sence  he  heared  he  would  be  sent  to 
Frankfort, — he  never  had  no  notion  of  going 
there.  He  has  knowed  all  along  the  prisoners 
was  going  to  work  the  road,  and  fixed  on  that 
as  his  best  chance  to  get  away.  If  he'd  a-told 
me  sooner,  I'd  have  felt  better, — but  he  never 


308  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

did  till  last  Sunday.  Then  I  felt  happy  again, 
though  of  course  I  was  afeared  Joe's  gun  might 
stop  him. 

"But  now  he's  home,  and  the  babe's  nigh 
dead  with  happiness,  but  aiming  to  live  when 
she  gits  used  to  it,  and  paw  is  all  holp  up  in  his 
spirits,  and  the  young  uns  has  got  their  minds 
and  stomachs  comforted,  and  a  big  crap's  a- 
going  in  immediate,  and  everything's  all  right." 

There  was  silence  for  quite  a  while;  then 
Taulbee  inquired,  in  a  low  voice,  as  one  may 
speak  of  the  dead, 

"Has  the  Cheevers  got  the  bottom?" 

A  wave  of  color  surged  over  Nucky's  face, 
and  then  receded,  leaving  him  deathly  pale. 

"Yes,  they  got  it,"  he  answered  slowly, 
painfully,  at  last;  "Blant  sent  'em  word  he 
give  it  to  'em,  and  wisht  he  could  give  'em  back 
the  lives  he  tuck,  too." 

Another  deep  silence  followed;  then  there  was 
a  still  more  searching  question: 


LIBERTY  AND  NEW  LIFE  309 

"Do  you  aim  to  let  'em  keep  it  when  you  git 
grown?" 

Nucky  closed  his  eyes;  his  face  was  sharp  and 
tense  with  the  inward  struggle;  his  breath  came 
with  difficulty.  It  was  a  long  time  before  he 
spoke; then, 

"I  allow  I'll  be  the  same  kind  of  a  hero  Blant 
is,"  he  replied. 

Easter  Sunday. 

It  is  the  season  of  new  life.  To-day  the  brown 
mountain  sides  are  suddenly  clothed  with  in- 
numerable tender  shades  of  green,  and  against 
them  the  exquisite  "sarvice"  tree,  incompara- 
ble symbol  of  spiritual  renascence,  stands  forth 
in  unearthly  beauty.  It  speaks  to  me  not  only 
of  the  awakening  of  Blant  and  Nucky  to  higher 
things,  and  of  the  coming  day  when  from  all 
hearts  shall  be  cast  out  the  "dread  brood  of 
Chaos  and  Old  Night,"  pride,  hatred  and  war- 
fare, but  of  my  own  wonderful  resurrection 
from  grief,  despair  and  selfishness  to  life  and 


310  MOTHERING  ON  PERILOUS 

love  and  service.  Now  that  I  have  Nucky 
back  again,  my  joy  is  perfect,  my  cup  over- 
flows. To-day  I  have  written  my  agent  to 
accept  one  of  the  offers  I  have  had  for  the  old 
home, — the  proceeds  shall  be  used  for  sending 
my  boys  to  college  when  the  time  comes. 
Henceforth  my  home  is  here, — here,  where  my 
once  lonely  and  drifting  barque  is  held  in  a  fair 
harbor  by  twelve  strong  anchors.  Lapped  con- 
tinually by  warm  tides  of  love  and  youth  and 
joy.  And  my  dearest  hope  is  that  the  rest  of  my 
days  may  be  spent  Mothering  on  Perilous. 


RETURN  TO  the  circulation  desk  of  any 

University  of  California  Library 

or  to  the 

NORTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 
Bldg.  400,  Richmond  Field  Station 
University  of  California 
Richmond,  CA  94804-4698 

ALL  BOOKS  MAY  BE  RECALLED  AFTER  7  DAYS 
2-month  loans  may  be  renewed  by  calling 

(510)  642-6753 
1-year  loans  may  be  recharged  by  bringing  books 

to  NRLF 
Renewals    and    recharges    may    be    made    4    days 

prior  to  due  date 


^socrrF 


UE  AS  STAMPED  BELOW 


FEB  2  7  1996 


^22  1996 


-Hm 


AUG  18 


2001 


FEB  1  9  2003 


),000  (4/94) 


VB  3270 t 


/<?<? 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 


